


Adrian’s Amazing Adventure

by Kat_o_nine_Tails



Category: Castlevania (Cartoon), 悪魔城ドラキュラ | Castlevania Series
Genre: Accidental Baby Acquisition, Alternate Universe, BAMF Lisa, Baby Alucard | Adrian Tepes | Arikado Genya, Baby Belmonts, Belmonts are Vampire Catnip, Dracula is whipped, Everything is Beautiful and Nothing Hurts, F/M, Pray for Trevor, Pregnancy, Timeline What Timeline, Try to spot them all, but she's also a polite lady thankyouverymuch, characters from other fandoms
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-07
Updated: 2020-08-19
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:42:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 30,935
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25792306
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kat_o_nine_Tails/pseuds/Kat_o_nine_Tails
Summary: In which Adrian is a brat and way too smart for anyone’s good, Trevor is confused but he’s also too well trained for hisowngood, Dracula may not be capable of getting a heart attack but that doesn’t stop him from trying, Sypha swears she is the only one with a functioning brain around here, and Lisa schemes like a proper Lady of the Night.Or: Adrian activates his father’s transmission mirror, ends up in unfamilliar woods and adopts a hunter. Everyone else just has to deal with it.
Relationships: Dracula/Lisa (Castlevania), Trevor Belmont/Sypha Belnades
Comments: 97
Kudos: 262





	1. Adrian

**Author's Note:**

> Me: Yessss, finally got some free time! I should work on one of my five published WIPs!
> 
> Brain: No
> 
> Me: Wha-?
> 
> Brain: New idea. Write now.
> 
> Me: BUT-?!
> 
> Brain: WRITE. NOW.
> 
> Don't ask me anything folks, this is literally based on a dream I had about Trevor holding a baby Alucard and looking all confused. That's literally it. Pray for my soul and my sanity that this doesn't get out of control as every single one of my one-shots have. 
> 
> PRAY VERY HARD.

Adrian had been adventuring for all of twenty minutes before he decided he was either doing it wrong, or his parents had some serious explaining to do regarding Adrian’s bedtime stories.

He was pretty sure he had begun his adventure properly. He had waited until his mother was off doing her doctoral duties and his father had laid in his coffin for a nap. Then he had snuck out of bed and went to his father’s study, to the splintered mirror he had seen his father use when he wanted to check on something or other, or pick up his mother from the village. 

Today, Adrian’s intention had been the latter. He memorized the runes Father used whenever it was time for Mother to return home, and had originally intended to copy them exactly so he could see what it was she was constantly doing while Father was teaching Adrian. 

The problem was that Father had claws as long as Adrian’s entire fingers, and Adrian’s claws had barely begun to grow. He knew the runes he wanted to inscribe on the mirror’s surface, but the problem was actually inscribing them properly.

It took Adrian three tries before something happened, which was already pushing the capabilities of his attention span.

But the sight that greeted him wasn’t the inside of his mother’s house in Lupu, but a tranquil image of a path in unfamiliar woods. Adrian could see nothing but birds, grass and a thick canopy of trees providing shade from the midday sun.

Adrian debated with himself for all of three seconds before he decided that this was a perfect start to an adventure, and jumped through the portal into the woods.

That was twenty minutes ago, which was nineteen minutes too long for Adrian’s patience. According to the stories Mother and Father told him, he should have met a wizard or a crone already, and they would send him on a quest for treasure and glory. All adventures went like that, but the only thing Adrian had found so far was a talking bush. 

Not exactly something brag to his father about.

“Well, well,” a haunting voice came from the transformed bush, echoing through the forest, “What have we here?”

Adrian was unimpressed. He expressed this unimpressedness by crossing his arms and scowling like his father did when one of his underlings screwed up a simple task. 

It would have probably been more effective if he wasn’t four years old and trying to intimidate a forest spirit who was about the same size as his father. As it was, the insolent bush, which turned out to be a Leshi, had the absolute gall to smile as wide as Adrian was tall, mouth full of teeth made of wooden splinters.

“That is none of your concern,” Adrian said with all the haughtiness his noble birth afforded him, “I shall go wherever I please and you cannot stop me.”

The Leshi laughed like it didn’t believe him. “This is _my_ forest, little one. I think I may at least know why someone like you is wandering its paths.”

Adrian did his best to raise his right eyebrow in that imperious way that had Father’s underlings scrambling. “If you must know, _I_ am on an _adventure._ And _you_ are obstructing my journey to find myself a quest.”

The Leshi grinned even wider. “Ah, then perhaps I may be of assistance. You said it is a quest you seek? I believe I know what you speak of.”

Adrian perked up. Maybe the Leshi _was_ the guide he was supposed to meet. “You do? Tell me!”

“Of course, of course,” Leshi purred and came closer to Adrian than he was comfortable with, “You will have the adventure of a lifetime… But I’m afraid… It will not last much longer than that.”

Had Adrian been anything less than the son of Dracula, the vines that shot after him would have likely impaled him through the chest and killed him, then served him as the Leshi’s dinner. 

As it was, he managed to avoid certain death by zooming backwards out of its reach, a rather recently acquired ability. And Adrian might be on an adventure, but he rather sensibly decided he didn’t need a guide after all, especially one who was trying to eat him. 

The Leshi tried to chase him but Adrian was faster. He ran pell-mell around the trees, avoiding living vines and the screeching of an enraged Leshi. He didn’t stop when the pitch of the Leshi’s yelling turned to a pained screech, but he slowed down a moment later when he realized the vines were no longer chasing him.

Adrian stood rooted to the spot for a full minute before curiosity won over common sense and he cautiously doubled back where he came from. Why did the Leshi stop chasing him? Did it find something else to hunt?

Adrian might be careless, but he wasn’t stupid. The bushes weren’t safe, but neither were the roads, so he turned into a bat and flitted about the treetops, looking for the reason the Leshi had given up on him.

Then promptly forgot all about it when he smelled something _wondrous._

His sense of smell was not the least bit diminished in any of his other forms, so even as a bat he could smell as well as any vampire, and something close smelled very, _very good._

Adrian dropped from the tree, transforming mid-leap back into a boy. He followed his nose to the source, which turned out to be some _one._

It was a human man, tall and broad but not as much as father, dressed as a noble with family crest on his breast, but not in the gaudy way some of the vampire nobility Adrian had seen pass through the castle. He was watching the Leshi’s corpse as it fell apart and took root as new bushes and flowers, forming a bed for new plant life to grow. The stranger had taken out a dagger and was carefully clipping off some of the sprouting branches.

Adrian looked at the stranger suspiciously. He was definitely human, that much Adrian was sure of by his scent alone, so he couldn’t have been the one to kill the Leshi. He had probably heard the screams and come to see what was going on. Yes, that must have been it. If he had actually fought the forest spirit he would have at least been showing signs of effort, and the stranger’s heart beat calm and steady in his chest.

Besides, anyone that smelled so good couldn’t be a bad person.

Confident in his assessment, Adrian pranced up to the stranger and tugged on the red duster attached to his belt. He must have startled the poor man, because he leapt a foot in the air and nearly threw something at Adrian. Was that a whip?

“Hello!” Adrian greeted with a polite, confident smile. Father said it was important to make a good first impression. “How are you? Nice to meet you.”

“The hell-?” the stranger sounded completely bewildered, “Kid, what are you doing here? Don’t you know these woods aren’t safe?”

“I’m on an adventure,” Adrian said with all the self-assuredness of a noble four-year-old, tilted his head in consideration, and decided to try something. He took a step closer to the stranger and put his arms up, “Pick me up.”

The stranger startled for a moment, but then displayed proper obsequiousness and did just that, setting Adrian on his left hip with practiced fluidity, though looking a little flummoxed. Adrian was pleased. “What is your name?”

“Uh, Trevor,” the stranger said uncertainly, “Trevor Belmont.”

“Trevor,” Adrian repeated the foreign name, then promptly shoved his nose into Trevor’s neck and took a deep breath. “You smell very nice.”

“Um…”

“Your heart sounds nice, too,” Adrian pressed his ear to Trevor’s collarbone, even though he could hear it’s deep, steady beat just fine. He thought this was what Father meant when he said fine things should be appreciated properly.

He could also feel how Trevor went very tense at that. Adrian had no idea why. Maybe he was unused to compliments.

“And what’s your name?” Trevor asked in a tight voice.

“Adrian.”

“Why are you out during the day, _Adrian_?” 

For some reason, Trevor said his name really weird. Adrian wondered if it had anything to do with the way his heart sped up just now.

“I told you, I’m on an adventure,” Adrian extracted his face from Trevor’s collarbones for the sole purpose of glaring at him. “And you’re not my father, nor my minder. You’re not allowed to scold me for being out past my bedtime.”

Trevor had a funny expression on his face. Adrian noticed his eyes were blue like Mother’s, but a shade darker. And somehow seeming deeper, though that might be because his eyelashes were longer than Mother’s.

“Alright, let me rephrase that,” Trevor conceded, “How did you get here? Because I’m pretty sure I would know if you lived in this forest.”

“Oh,” Adrian made a face, “I was actually going to see Mother. She works as a doctor in Lupu during the day, and I wanted to see what she does. But Father said I’m not allowed out of the castle until I’m older, so I thought I would go through the mirror while he’s asleep. But Father’s claws are bigger than mine, see?” Adrian held his hands up to show how small his claws were with some displeasure, “It was hard to scratch the runes in, and when the view changed it showed the forest, so I thought I would go on an adventure, and visit Mother later.”

Trevor looked at Adrian, looked at Adrian’s tiny claws, still held in front of his face, then looked back at Adrian in bewilderment. Adrian had a feeling it was an expression he made often.

“Let me get this straight,” Trevor said dubiously, “You used a distance mirror to visit your doctor mother, but ended up in the Hoia Forest by _accident?_ And then ended up attacked by a Leshi? _”_

“...Maybe,” Adrian pouted. “He said he would guide me on a quest.”

Trevor blinked, still looking bewildered. Adrian sighed in defeat. 

“Fine, I will go back,” he told Trevor sullenly, “This adventure was boring anyway.”

“Uh, kid,” Trevor’s face twitched in a weird way, “I don’t know what kind of distance mirror your father has, but those portals don’t stay open forever. They usually collapse the moment you pass through them, if there’s no one on the other side to hold them open.”

“Oh,” Adrian frowned. So much for his father not finding out. “Then which way is Lupu? I’ll go back when Father comes to pick up Mother.”

“I’m… Not sure, actually,” Trevor frowned, “I’ve never even heard of Lupu. Is it a village or a town?”

“Village,” Adrian said, “Mother said the closest city is… Targoviste, I think.”

Trevor started to look worried. “Targoviste? Kid, Targoviste is in _Wallachia._ We’re in Transylvania. It would take _days_ to get there on horseback, never mind on foot.”

“Then…” Adrian started to worry too, “I… I will wait for Father to wake, and he can find me.”

“Uh, possibly a stupid question,” Trevor was looking worried too, “Your father is a… vampire, right?”

“Yes,” Adrian said, “Mother is human.”

“Yeah, I gathered,” Trevor took a deep breath, let it out in a puff and looked skyward, “But it’s summer, and the sun isn’t even at its highest point yet. It’ll be hours before it’s dark enough for your dad to come out. Can your mom use the distance mirror?”

“...No,” Adrian admitted, “The mirror is in the castle. Father has to open it from there.”

The gravity of his predicament hit him full force. He was _alone,_ Mother didn’t even know he was here and Father _couldn’t even go looking for him_ because the sunlight was one of the few things that could actually still hurt him.

“Hey, hey kid,” Trevor called his attention back to himself gently, “Look, parts of these woods are technically still on my estate. You can come home with me, and I’ll bring you back right before sundown so your dad can find you, how’s that sound?”

“I can come with you?” Adrian wiped his eyes with his sleeve. 

“Sure,” Trevor smiled reassuringly. It was a really pretty smile, “If your dad promises not to eat me, you can even come again.”

“Why would Father eat you?” It was Adrian’s turn to be bewildered, “He only drinks blood.”

Trevor laughed like Adrian had said something funny. But he laughed just as beautifully as he smelled, so Adrian chose not to take offense.

“But your blood would be very delicious,” Adrian told him, in case he misunderstood, “I can tell, because you smell very excellent.”

“Well,” Trevor was no longer laughing, but looked like he was trying really hard to stop himself. “Not the point, but I can honestly say that is the first time I actually charmed someone with the way I smell. Sypha is going to have a field day with this.”

“Sypha?” 

“My wife,” Trevor was smiling again, and this time it looked a lot like the way Father smiled when he was talking about Mother, “She’s going to love you, actually, like we don’t have enough bastards already. Come to think of it, the bastards will probably love you too, they’re just a bit older than you. Wait, how old _are_ you?”

“I’m four and a half,” Adrian told him proudly.

“Right,” Trevor said, “So, what do you think? Wanna be the first vampire to make friends with the Belmont clan?”

“Yes!” Adrian threw his arms around Trevor’s neck, careful not to squeeze any tighter than when he hugged Mother, “I’ve never met other children before! And I never had friends neither!”

Trevor went tense for a moment when Adrian hugged him, but he soon relaxed and rubbed Adrian’s back. It was, perhaps accidentally, the same gesture Adrian’s parents did when they were trying to get him to go to sleep, so he was abruptly reminded it was actually past his bedtime by a jaw-cracking yawn.

“Wow, I think I saw your molars down there,” Trevor teased him gently, “So I take it you would rather not walk?”

“Mmmm,” Adrian grumbled and buried his nose in between Trevor’s neck and collar. “I’m not tired.”

“Sure you’re not,” Trevor said agreeably because Trevor was an awesome adult in addition to smelling very nice. “Have you ever ridden a horse before?”

“No.”

“Well you’re gonna love it.”

Adrian was right. This was going to be an _amazing_ adventure.


	2. Trevor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, it's official. This isn't leaving me alone.
> 
> I have no idea what the timeline for this story is, but I've done some basic math and the closest I got was 'everything is the same except Lisa is about the same age as Trevor, and everything shifts with that'.

Trevor had to admit, if this whole setup was a trap, it had proven to be an extremely effective one. And whoever set it up, possibly the kid’s dad, was probably laughing their ass off at him, seeing as it took him less than a minute to go from ‘oh shit, vampire baby’ to ‘oh shit, lost baby, better take it home with me’, based solely on the fact that the kid was cute and had been convinced Trevor was harmless because he ‘smelled nice’.

Impeccable logic, that, from both of them. Trevor didn’t even have the excuse of being four.

But really, what the Hell else was he supposed to do? Just leave the kid in a haunted, Leshi-infested forest? Fuck no. Trevor might be a bastard in all but the literal sense, but he wasn’t _that_ much of a bastard. Plus, the kid was only half vampire, and by all accounts his mom was alive and well. Working as a doctor, no less. That implied his dad wasn’t as big of a dick as vampires usually were, if he liked a human woman enough to make a little abomination of nature with her and then stick around afterward.

Said abomination of nature was currently sound asleep on Trevor’s shoulder, completely oblivious to the fact that Trevor had killed adult vampires a lot bigger and stronger than him. But then, he hadn’t even twitched when Trevor told him he was a Belmont, and any vampire that didn’t know who Belmonts were had to be both incredibly young and incredibly sheltered. 

In short, almost completely harmless. Key word here being _almost,_ of course. A bear cub might be cute and playful if you find it alone, but as soon as its mama spotted you with it you were toast. Or papa, in this case. But possibly also mama, because any woman that could make a baby with a vampire was at least half as dangerous as Sypha. She should probably be feared as well.

Which only went to prove further that Trevor was an absolute idiot, and inevitably fucked whether or not this was a trap. Because if it was a trap, it was working even better than the perpetrator could have hoped, and if it wasn’t… Well, Trevor had essentially kidnapped a baby of a potentially very powerful vampire. Or a very rich one, if he had a castle and a distance mirror. And was possibly buddies with Dracula himself. 

Okay, probably not the last one, but still. Returning Adrian was going to take some actual planning and possibly running for their lives.

Still a better option than _leaving a four-year-old alone in a haunted forest,_ so there. Beat that, Sypha.

Trevor’s horse, a young white mare, was still where put it to pasture, some ways past the forest border. She obediently trotted over when called and snuffled Trevor’s pockets, then snuffled the pockets of his passenger.

“This is Luiza,” Trevor told Adrian, “Fast as the wind itself and would sell me out for a carrot, she’s great. She’s gonna be our ride home.”

“Hello Luiza,” Adrian nodded at the horse respectfully, “Pleased to meet you.”

Luiza, unfortunately, had much less manners than Adrian and decided his hair looked too much like straw not to take a nibble of it. Trevor managed to stop her before she actually tore his hair out, but it left her disgruntled and Adrian looking distinctively chewed on.

Off to a great start, they were.

“Hey, kid,” Trevor said as he was eyeing the sky above them, “Can you just stay out in the sun indefinitely or does it start bothering you at some point? Like, do you start burning?”

“I fell asleep on a balcony once. When I woke up my face was red and itchy. Mother said it happened to her too, but I don’t smoke like Father in the sun.”

“So, regular human sunburn,” Trevor nodded, “Happens to Sypha too, she makes some weird cream for that, but I suppose it will be fine just for the ride.”

That problem solved, the only one that remained was how they were going to ride. When Trevor went out with the kids he just sat them behind him and told them to hold on tight, but Adrian was about a minute away from nodding off. The saddle wasn’t meant to have anyone in front of the rider, either. In the end Trevor had to tie his belt around Adrian so the boy was literally attached to Trevor’s back. It was by no stretch of the imagination comfortable, at least not for Trevor, but at least this way they could ride without fearing Adrian was going to fall and break his neck.

“You okay back there?” Trevor tried to twist around to see Adrian, but the kid had just slumped against him and was currently drooling on his shirt. Trevor decided to take it as a ‘yes’ and prodded Luiza into a smooth canter back towards the new Belmont Manor.

Twenty years ago, the old Belmont castle had been burned with Trevor’s entire family inside because the Church had felt threatened and its men had gotten greedy. Trevor had managed to escape it for no reason other than being a adventurous twelve year old who knew how to pick locks and snuck out in the middle of the night with the family legacy to hunt imaginary vampires from his tree fortress.

When the priests caught him and scarred his face, forced him to watch his family home burn, they hadn’t known that Belmonts trained their children to hunt the moment they could hold a weapon.

The first monsters Trevor killed had been human and wore the cloth of holy men.

But the Church had bitten off far more than they could chew. They could not open the Belmont Hold, the place they had desperately wanted to get their hands on, and in their greed they had forgotten that Belmonts had not lasted this long by being ordinary people.

The very same day Trevor left the Belmont estate, and all the other Belmonts died, the land had turned against the people who had betrayed its masters. The crops withered in the fields. The cattle fell prey to disease and wolves. Various lower monsters were left with no predators and a lot of tasty, squishy villagers.

Within six months, the Belmont lands were barren. Trevor heard that some ambitious bishop had hoped to take the estate, and the Church had gladly given it to him, only to find him and his cohorts either mad or dead a year later. They proclaimed the lands cursed, and left them abandoned. 

Then, ten years ago, a vampire by the name of Carmilla had gotten herself a Forgemaster and decided the best way to use him was to conquer herself a path across Southeast Europa. And Trevor, being Trevor, couldn’t let that stand so he figured he might as well go see if Styria had any decent taverns. 

On the way there, he met Grant and politely pretended he was a real pirate. He met Sypha going in the same direction, killed a Cyclops who thought she made a better statue than a sorceress, and spent almost a year killing demons and arguing with her until they actually managed to defeat Carmilla. 

The rest, as they say, was history.

They were just approaching the village wall when Trevor spotted Lambert herding the sheep. Or rather, heard Lambert cussing out the sheep heavily enough to make Grant sound like a well-bred prince in comparison. Normally Trevor didn’t mind, but today he had some young ears accompanying him.

“Oi, Lambert!” Trevor steered Luiza in his direction, “What did the poor things do to you this time?”

“Lord Bastard,” Lambert greeted with a scowl, “The same thing they always do: _not fucking go where I tell them to.”_

“Well tell them more politely, at least today,” Trevor pointed a thumb behind his back, “We have underage company.”

Lambert looked at Trevor like he’d lost his mind, then went around to peer behind Trevor to look at still-sleepy Adrian.

“I thought you had enough of your own bastards that you don’t have to kidnap any others,” Lambert told him, then tilted his head in consideration, “Though he’s certainly prettier than the ones you made.”

“You take that back!” Trevor swiped at Lambert’s head mid-laugh, “And I didn’t kidnap him. I found the silly thing wandering the Hoia Forest alone and took pity. I’ll bring him back to his folks as soon as I find them.”

“You sure they’re gonna want him back after you had your grubby mitts on him?” 

“First of all, that bit of folklore is about birds. And second of all, it’s complete rubbish, anyway.”

“You sure about that?” Lambert gave him a strange look, then leaned closer to Adrian to take a sniff at him. “Uh, you do realize that’s a-”

“Half-vampire, yeah,” Trevor rolled his eyes, “Do give me some credit, Lambert.”

“Bold words for someone who still hasn’t figured out what _we_ are,” Lambert snorted.

“You’re a sheepdog that learned to walk on its hind legs and that’s final,” Trevor told him and took a moment to appreciate the spluttering. Before Lambert could start cursing his Lord right to his face, Trevor prodded Luiza into a run. 

“Say hi to your dad from me!” Trevor yelled back. Lambert still cussed after him at the top of his lungs, but at least he did it in Polish instead of Wallachian.

“Who was that?” Adrian asked after they were out of Lambert’s earshot.

“His name’s Lambert, our reluctant part-time shepherd,” Trevor told him, still grinning, “He, his dad and his two brothers came here a few years ago from Poland on a job, but then decided they liked it here a bit too much and I haven’t been able to kick them out since.”

“He smelled weird.”

“Yeah?” Trevor tried to turn around, “Do you know what he is?”

“No.”

“Drat,” Trevor sighed, “I know they’re not human, but they’ve been annoyingly tight-lipped about what they are even before they decided to live here.”

“Why?” 

“Well, at first they didn’t trust us,” Trevor shrugged, “For all that we’re in the same profession they weren’t in any hurry to announce themselves. Can’t blame them, really, it’s likely the reason they decided against returning to their homeland. But it’s been years already, and now they’re just doing it to be annoying.”

“If you like, I can ask Father,” Adrian offered earnestly, “He knows _everything._ ”

“Sure,” Trevor said agreeably, and didn’t say that he was probably never going to see the kid again after he returned him to his parents. Adrian might have been oblivious, but his father at least knew who the Belmonts actually were, and Trevor doubted he would be willing to let his half-vampire son anywhere near them again.

When they finally reached the outer wall that marked the beginning of the village itself, Trevor unbuckled his belt to get Adrian free and slid off Luiza’s back.

“Before we go in, we just need to do a bit of something,” he told Adrian as he was pulling him off the saddle, “The wall’s magic, spelled to keep out monsters and humans with bad intentions. I’m not sure how it’ll react to you, so it’s better I formally invite you in. You okay with that?”

“Mm-hmm,” Adrian nodded, “Father has similar protections on some doors in the castle.”

“Good, so you know how it goes,” Trevor set him on the ground and knelt before him. He put his hands on Adrian’s shoulders and looked him square in the eye, “ _Adrian, I, Trevor Belmont, master of these lands and its people, welcome you into my home, so long as you keep its laws and do no harm on its soil. Do you accept?_ ”

“I accept,” Adrian said steadily, and Trevor could feel the moment Sypha’s magic went coursing through his body and around Adrian, marking him as worthy of passage. The runes around the heavy wooden doors glowed, and the doors themselves opened on their own accord. 

“Okay, that’s done,” Trevor stood up and pulled Adrian along. “Wanna try riding on your own?”

“Yes!”

So Trevor sat Adrian onto Luiza’s saddle alone and told him to hold on while he took her reins and led her through the village towards the stables. The people inside greeted him as they went about their business, well used to the sight of their Lord coming and going.

With Carmilla defeated, and rumors of her killer spread far and wide, the Church was once more given a reason to fear Belmonts, only this time they’d given him back his lands along with some rather hefty reparations and very politely begged to be removed from Trevor’s shitlist.

Trevor agreed somewhat grudgingly. Until they tried to approach him about rebuilding the church on the Belmont lands and taking him back into the communion. Then they summarily got their asses kicked out.

To absolutely no one’s surprise, the rumors that the new Lord Belmont shunned the Church and the Church could do exactly nothing about it spread like wildfire, partially because Grant couldn’t keep his trap shut if his life depended on it and embellished the details more with every shot of rum. Trevor and Sypha had barely finished clearing away the rubble of the previous Belmont Castle when they got their first visitors.

First came the people who the Church cast out. A man and a woman with dark skin who used to be slaves. A Roma family. An adulteress with three children. A pair of men who were very close but were not brothers. An herbalist who’d been branded as a witch. A seamstress with too wide shoulders and too deep voice. A mother with a boy who sometimes had fits like he was possessed over strange sounds, but did not flinch from holy water. 

They came to Trevor with hope in their eyes but preparing for a dismissal. Or a strike. And Trevor had taken one look at them, reminded them he was an excommunicant and therefore worse in the eyes of the Church than anything they ever did, and pointed them in the direction of the abandoned village to settle in whichever house they liked best.

As Trevor had suspected, they were for the most part decent, hardworking people who for some reason or other did not fit in with the good people of God, but managed just fine on the godless Belmont lands. The lands that welcomed new farmers with bountiful harvests after a decade of mourning its masters.

Maybe Sypha was right about his family once having magic in them. 

Within two years, the rumors of Lord Belmont’s tolerance had spread even further, this time beyond just humans.

The first person to arrive who wasn’t human had certainly looked like one. Elena had come to them thin, barefoot, with a haunted look in her eyes and only the clothes on her back to her name. Trevor sent her to Lavinia the Seamstress who needed a helping hand anyway, and didn’t really bother to question the poor kid further.

Within a week Lavinia’s house was filled with flowers that grew too fast to be natural in any sense. Initially, Trevor had thought Elena was an untrained sorceress and sent Sypha her way, only for Sypha to return grim-faced and stubborn, telling him they were not kicking Elena out or killing her even before she told him what the hell was going on.

Sypha had been pregnant at the time, and Trevor was ready to bend over backwards to keep her happy. So Elena the Changeling stayed with them and grew up into a beautiful young woman, selling flowers and breaking hearts of every boy in the village, but more importantly not casting a single curse in her life, which Trevor wholeheartedly approved of.

It had set a precedent, and went downhill from there.

“Lord Belmont!” Elena called as she spotted him, running up to him with a sunny smile on her face and a basket overflowing with flower seedlings, “Have you spoken with it? How did it go?”

“Sorry, Elena,” Trevor shrugged apologetically, “It was actually a Leshi, and not a very benevolent one since I caught him trying to eat Adrian here,” he pointed a thumb behind him at Adrian, who was looking at Elena curiously.

Elena’s face fell for a moment until she noticed Adrian’s golden eyes and sharp little baby claws, then proceed to examine him like he was examining her. Trevor was reminded of a pair of cats measuring each other to try and determine if the other was friendly or if fur was going to start flying.

“Oh, ah,” Elena snapped out of it first, “That’s too bad. But, er, at least you returned with someone anyway? Oh, where are my manners, I’m Elena,” she smiled and offered her hand to Adrian, who cautiously took it.

“Hello, I’m Adrian. Nice to meet you,” he tilted his head in consideration, “Are you a fairy? You smell like one.”

Elena’s jaw dropped straight to the floor in astonishment. Trevor hid a laugh behind his hand.

“Changeling, actually,” she corrected him, dazed, “And you?”

“Dhampyr,” Adrian told her. Elena blinked.

“Half human, half vampire,” Trevor explained, amused, “And don’t get too attached, his folks are still around and expecting him back. He’ll only stay here until nightfall.”

“Oh,” Elena sighed, this time in disappointment. Then she reached into her basket and pulled out a tiny wooden pot whose occupant had only started sprouting. She held it to her chest for a moment, her eyes closed and her brow creased, until the tiny sprout grew up and up, started budding and the bud opened into a beautiful golden lily Trevor had only ever seen in illustrations and Elena’s hands.

“Here,” she gave the pot to Adrian, “If you’re not staying long, better I give you a farewell gift now.”

“Thank you, it’s beautiful,” Adrian accepted it with a polite nod. He held the pot cautiously to his chest like Elena had done.

“Speaking of plants,” Trevor went rooting through his pockets, “When a Leshi dies it starts sprouting all over the place. I took a few branches and roots for you, maybe you’ll find something useful amongst them.”

“Thank you, Lord Belmont!” Elena accepted the pouch with Leshi clippings like Trevor used to accept communion bread from the priest, back when he was still a boy and his mother insisted they go to church every Sunday. When she opened the pouch to peer inside her grin nearly split her face and her hair turned leaf-green. She bid her farewells too fast to be understandable, then practically vibrated in the direction of her house.

“She seemed nice,” Adrian commented once Elena was out of sight, “I’ve met fae once before, but never a changeling.”

“I imagine not,” Trevor grimaced, “Not a lot of them survive childhood, and not always for the same reasons. And a word of caution: the people here know not all of their neighbors are strictly human, but it’s not exactly smart to be announcing it outside the village walls. There’s a reason we have that wall in the first place.”

“Oh, okay,” Adrian nodded, “Father said that too. That I should not tell humans what I am because they would be afraid of me.”

“Well, the humans here are made of sterner stuff than those outside, but your dad was right,” Trevor told him, “And especially don’t go saying it around any churches or priests, that’s just asking for trouble.”

“I’ve never met a priest before.”

“Lucky you,” Trevor snorted, “If you continue to be lucky, you never will.”

Adrian took in those words of wisdom with a pensive expression and no further questions, until they finally approached the path that would lead them to the new house the Belmonts called home.

Trevor led Luiza around the mansion, built mostly from the stones of the castle that came before it, to the stables where she could rest. Faintly, he could hear indistinct singing, and as soon as they entered Trevor realized it was in Japanese.

That was a potential problem.

“Welcome back, Lord Belmont!” Taka greeted him with a cheerful wave, his head covered with as much straw as hair, “How did it go? Did you get the monster?”

“Yeah,” Trevor handed Taka the reins, “It was a Leshi. I already gave Elena some of the clippings I got from it.”

“I bet she was over the moon for them. Maybe she’ll even grow something edible. Or at least edible for you, beautiful,” Taka patted Luiza and gave her some oats he always carried in his pocket. Luiza was appropriately grateful.

“No wonder she likes you more than me, you’re spoiling her fat,” Trevor commented as he picked Adrian up from the saddle and set him on his hip.

“Aw, she’s a good girl, she deserves it,” Taka said fondly. Trevor had just started thinking he’d manage to get Adrian into the house without Taka even noticing him when his luck ran out.

“Oh, hello,” Taka blinked at Adrian, “You’re not Lady Sonia.”

“I’m Adrian,” he nodded, then nearly overbalanced himself leaning forward, “Pleased to meet you.”

Taka looked flabbergasted for a moment before he returned the bow. 

“I’m Taka, the stablehand,” he introduced himself then turned to Trevor, “He’s not one of yours, is he?”

“Nope, I just found him in same place where I found the Leshi,” Trevor hefted Adrian a bit higher, “I’ll bring him back to his parents come sundown.”

Taka’s eyes narrowed at those words. He eyed Adrian up and down discreetly but Trevor still saw him and the face he was making.

“He’s half vampire,” Trevor glared, “Will that be a problem?”

Taka flinched and looked away. “No,” one of his hands went up to rub the back of his neck, “No, I guess it won’t. But, uh… Maybe it would be better if I warned Sumi first.”

“Yeah, probably,” Trevor sighed, “Where is she?”

“Weaving, last I checked.”

Trevor made a mental note to avoid that entire wing until Taka talked to Sumi, said goodbye and walked to the front door, still carrying Adrian.

“Why does he dislike me so much?” he asked quietly, mostly looking at his lily.

“It’s nothing against you personally, kid,” Trevor sighed, “Taka and Sumi used to be slaves of a vampire, back in Japan. They managed to run away but they were still left with some real bad memories and distrust of vampires. They actually came here after they heard we defeated Carmilla, hoping we could teach them a few things, but Japan’s a long way off and there’s only two of them, so we convinced them to stay. They’re good kids, really, they just need a bit of time to get used to the idea of being around vampires again.”

That was the abridged but not entirely inaccurate version, but Trevor felt Adrian didn’t really need to know how long it took Sumi and Taka to start believing that Trevor and Sypha weren’t lying to them and didn’t want to use and abuse them like pretty much everyone else in their lives had. Those two had trust issues that made Trevor at his lowest seem like a mellow and well-adjusted person. Hell, Trevor was relatively sure a part of them was still bracing for their new Lord and Lady to turn into an evil despot like Cho. 

Thankfully, time and making friends with the other inhabitants of the Belmont Manor helped convince them that the new Belmonts really were decent people. And thank God it did because at one point Trevor had seriously contemplated giving them two horses and a stocked cart and sending them on their way because they wouldn’t stop _flinching_ after Sypha blew up at them _once_ for that utterly stupid stunt _._

Jesus, Mary and Joseph help him if he ever got his hands on Cho. The Church would excommunicate him all over again if they knew what he’d to that blood-sucking, goat-fucking whore.

“Carmilla?” Adrian’s voice cut him out of his musings, “I heard about Carmilla. She came to visit once, when Father was announcing Mother as his wife.”

“Oh?” Trevor was surprised. Adrian’s father must be of a fairly high rank if one of Dracula’s former generals actually took an interest in his human wife, even if it was just to ogle her.

“Yes,” Adrian nodded, “Mother said she acted very nice and polite but she could tell she was lying. She sounded the way cabbage tastes.”

“...What?”

“Bitter,” Adrian clarified with a sniff, “And that she said weird things about Father losing his touch and becoming weak. Father said she got what she deserved when she was defeated because she got too arrogant.”

“Okay, yeah, that does sound like Carmilla,” Trevor nodded, recalling the bitter, angry woman that had cursed him and his entire line as she was dying in her sister’s arms.

She was a bitch, that much was indisputable, but Trevor didn’t feel any of the anticipated satisfaction as he watched her wither and die. As her petite, red-haired sister screamed at them over her body.

Trevor had left for home the very next day, thinking that vampires retained a lot more of their humanity than they liked to pretend.

“How did you defeat her?” Adrian asked the question Trevor had been dreading, “I thought you were human.”

“I am,” Trevor said, “You really don’t know much about Belmonts, do you? Your father didn’t say anything about us?”

Adrian’s nose scrunched in thought, which was almost too adorable for words. 

“I… Don’t think so?” Adrian said uncertainly, “At least not where I could hear him.” 

“Fair enough,” Trevor nodded, “We’re human, yes, but we’re also monster hunters. We were bred, born and raised to protect humans from all the things that want to eat them.”

“...like vampires?” Adrian asked slowly, for the first time seeming suspicious of Trevor.

Trevor just laughed. “Sometimes, yeah. But you don’t look very monstrous to me. Are you going to bite me?”

“No,” Adrian sniffed like the very concept offended him, “Mother said it is impolite to bite humans without permission, no matter how nice they smell.”

“Well, there you go,” Trevor grinned, “Solid proof your mother raised you well. Nothing monstrous going on here, I see,” Trevor poked Adrian in the middle of his forehead, laughing some more when Adrian went cross-eyed trying to follow his finger.

Damn, but the kid really was adorable. 

And speaking of adorable kids…

“DADDY!!!” a tiny blonde cannonball came hurdling in his direction at a truly alarming speed. Luckily, it wasn’t the first time that happened so Trevor knew how to brace himself and expertly catch his daughter and lift her up before she collided with his leg.

“You’re back!” Sonia threw her arms around Trevor’s neck and squeezed hard enough to turn him blue in the face before she noticed Adrian, “And you brought a friend! Is he staying with us?”

“I’m Adrian,” he introduced himself with a wide grin, then leaned forward to sniff Sonia like he did Trevor, “You smell even better than Trevor!”

“Thank you!” Sonia didn’t even blink at the strange compliment, “I’m Sonia! Are you a werewolf?”

“Dhampyr,” Adrian corrected her.

“Cool! Wanna play pirates with me?”

“Yes!”

Trevor just barely managed to put them down without dropping them before they went running off into the garden, shrieking in delight.

“Honestly, Trevor,” the most wonderful voice in the world said, waddling towards him, “Are we really so short on children that you have to adopt them to bolster our numbers?”

“Ah, you know me,” Trevor picked up the fallen flowerpot and planted a peck on Sypha’s lips with the biggest grin in the world, “There’s two things I can never have enough of: beer and bastards.”

“Trevor, stop calling our children bastards before I smack you again.”

“Well, they are,” Trevor knelt down on one knee to press another kiss to Sypha’s enormous belly, “And hello to you too, Juste. How my precious bastard doing in there?”

“Practicing his high kicks, it feels like,” Sypha grumped but she had a smile on her face as well, “I think he sensed you coming because he started kicking exactly a minute before Sonia saw you through the window.”

“Oh? Think this one’s gonna be magic like you?”

“Maybe, it’s too early to tell,” Sypha shrugged, “But my own magic is going a lot more haywire than it did with the other children, so it’s definitely a possibility.”

“That’s great,” Trevor kissed Sypha again, then once more for good measure, “I can’t wait until you two are bringing the house down around our ears with blasts of magic.”

“Trevor! We will not!”

“Just make sure you’re doing it above ground, okay? The Archives contain a certain flammable spellbook that I recall you're really fond of-”

“Treffy!” Sypha all but shrieked into his shoulder, her entire back shaking with embarrassment and laughter, because she knew _exactly_ which spellbook he was talking about, “That was _one_ time! You horrible, incorrigible _fiend!”_

“That’s me,” Trevor buried his nose into her hair, his arms wound tight around her and her pregnant tummy making space for itself in the soft, boneless places of Trevor’s abdomen. He loved it when she did that, how they _fit_ together, and Juste was kicking up enough of a fuss that Trevor could feel him. 

God, it was the best feeling in the world to come back home to her and all of their bastards. And speaking of…

“Where’s Christopher?” 

“Where do think?” Sypha laughed, face still red, “Still has his nose buried in the Bestiary. Nevermind that he could recite it backwards at this point, he’s still looking for details he missed, or hidden clues.”

“Well his mother _is_ a Speaker, you can’t blame him. And where’s Simon?”

A truly impressive roar came from the garden, closely followed by startled shrieking, then uproarious laughter.

"Does that answer your question?" Sypha asked dryly.

"Indeed it does," Trevor grinned, "I better catch them and slather them in that sun cream of yours, or we'll have three cranky monsters on our hands in an hour."

"You do that," Sypha patted his chest, "And I'll go sneak past Antoneta and raid her cellar."

"Cravings again?"

Sypha groaned. "What kind of kid likes _pickled radishes_ so much?"

"Well one thing's for sure," Trevor wrapped an arm around her and steered her back inside, "Kid's definitely gonna be magic if he can make _you_ eat radishes."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, you KNOW Trevor and Sypha would have an entire army or kids, so of course I had to dig up every single Belmont in the family tree, plus Sonia. She was actually supposed to be the eldest, but Christopher won that particular arm-wrestling contest.
> 
> And, okay, I know most of the fandom would have personally put Sumi and Taka on those stakes themselves, but I really liked them, okay? I was even rooting for them by the end there, but *sigh* we all know how that turned out. I'm of the opinion they're redeemable characters, especially since I think they're even younger than Alucard in the cannon, and I just let mom!Sypha and dad!Trevor do their magic. Yay for therapy!
> 
> Lenore, on the other hand, is centuries old and should really know better, especially since she's so 'uwu I'm the only kind one here'. She's a fuckin' bitch who can't tell the difference between a dog and a human, and she gets no niceties from me. She loses everything and watches her sister die, and that's all I'm granting her.
> 
> Also, thumbs up if you spot the Easter egg character.


	3. Vlad

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is driving me insane, and has, rather predictably, completely spiraled out of my control. I stayed up all night writing this because I couldn't sleep. Enjoy the fruits of my mental collapse.

The moment Vlad Dracula Tepes woke up, he knew something was horribly wrong. 

For a start, he woke up on his own, _peacefully_. That hadn't been an option for the past year, not with a rowdy dhampyr in the castle who thought it was a sin to sleep for more than six hours at a time, and had no compunctions about banging his tiny fists over the lid of Vlad's coffin.

It was enough to wake the _actual_ dead. The undead didn't stand a chance. 

So when Vlad woke up to peace and quiet the first thing he did was ask the Castle if Adrian was still inside it.

The Castle groaned and did not try to point him in the direction of his son, which meant the answer was a resounding 'no'.

Vlad sighed in despair and contemplated vasectomy. Mourned the fact that it was a bit too late for that now. Then he got up and took his time dressing before going to his study. Hopefully the transmission mirror would be more useful in locating his wayward son, because he very much did not want to be the one to tell Lisa he'd managed to _misplace_ Adrian. _Again_. The last time he did he’d gotten kidnapped and taken to the Fae Court!

Honestly, you would think half-vampires would be _less_ hassle than vampire fledglings, but no. Where fledglings had a built-in compulsion to obey their sire, dhampyrs had a built-in _resistance_ to their father’s orders. Something Vlad dearly wished he knew _before_ jumping into bed with Lisa, if only to prepare himself and his Castle for it better.

When he’d told Lisa that she'd laughed at him and told him that was something every human parent wished for and never got, but if they managed to survive having rowdy children, she was sure the Lord of the Night would manage just fine.

Vlad did not feel like he was managing ‘just fine’. How in the world did humans do this _more than once?_ The last human he’d had any significant dealings with before Lisa had been… well, _Leon,_ and he and Sara had talked about having a whole terror of little brats.

Brats they never got to have.

Vlad sighed and put the thought out of his mind. It was never a good idea to think about regrets from centuries past. 

As Vlad entered his study the Castle obligingly lit up the hearth in the otherwise dark room. Vlad did not need the light, nor the warmth, but he enjoyed them both nonetheless. Shards of the transmission mirror floated along one wall, reflections of light from the fire dancing like fireflies.

“Show me Adrian,” Vlad commanded. The mirror assembled itself into one smooth surface and glowed as if burning itself. It went on for an unusually long amount of time, nearly half a minute where it usually took a few seconds. Just as Vlad was starting to get worried the mirror stopped glowing and showed him the sight of an unfamiliar garden.

The first child Vlad saw was not Adrian, but someone a little younger than him. The boy’s red hair positively glowed in the summer sun, so bright it made it seem like he had flames on his scalp.

Vlad had just begun to wonder if the mirror was broken after all when Adrian jumped out of the bushes on top of the redhead, making the younger boy howl first from fear then from indignation. The two proceeded to wrestle barefoot in the grass like a pair of puppies.

Vlad sighed as he watched Adrian play with an unfamiliar human child. He’d been asking Vlad and Lisa for weeks now if there were perhaps children his own age he could play with, he really shouldn’t be so surprised that Adrian had gotten tired of waiting and sought them out himself. 

Likely using this same mirror, too. He’d certainly seen Vlad inscribe the runes that lead to Lisa’s house enough times to replicate them. And Lisa, the crafty woman, must have lied through her teeth to one of her patients who had children the same age as Adrian and gotten herself a babysitter for the day. 

As Vlad was watching, the two were soon joined by another blond child, this one a year or two older than Adrian, and the game devolved into the youngest boy roaring like a wild beast as he tried to catch them. 

Well, Vlad thought, at least this time he hadn’t been taken by fae.

“Adrian!” a man called from somewhere out of Vlad’s sight, “Get over here, it’s your turn!”

“No!” Adrian yelped and ran in the opposite direction.

Vlad couldn’t help but chuckle at the man’s plight. He hoped Lisa was at least paying the poor father. Maybe if she named a number high enough he’d agree to watch Adrian again. Perhaps even within the same month, if his own children liked their new friend well enough.

In the end, the man abandoned all hope of Adrian actually obeying him and gave chase, to Adrian’s absolute delight. Assured that his son wasn't in any danger and amused by the turn of events, Vlad summoned himself a chair and sat down to enjoy the sight of his progeny tormenting someone who wasn’t him. 

Hey, he was a perfectly self-aware sadist, and the Lord of the Night. He was allowed to be proud of his son following in his footsteps of torturing humans so young.

But then Adrian went jumping over the fountain in a leap human children were most certainly not capable of, and the man somersaulted over after him like he didn’t even notice the impossibility of the feat. 

Vlad’s eyes narrowed. Last he checked, ordinary humans were not capable of leaping as high as they were tall and twice the length, not unless they’d had years and years of training the likes of which underwent only-

“Gotcha!” the man finally caught Adrian under his armpits and lifted him high in the air so he couldn’t run, “Nice try, Fangs, but not fast enough.”

Vlad froze in his chair. _Fangs_. The man knew what Adrian was, _how,_ Lisa certainly couldn’t have told him-

The man turned his back to Vlad and

the Belmont crest 

_glimmered_

in the sun

Vlad’s heart had not beat in over four centuries, but in that moment he swore it spluttered and made a valiant effort to start up again just so it could give him a heart attack.

The Belmont carried Adrian off towards the house. 

Vlad was out of his chair and clawing at the mirror in less than a second. The sun was strong enough to burn his entire arm off but if they went into the shade for even a fraction of a _second_ it was enough to reach through the portal and _slit that bastard’s throat for daring to touch Vlad’s-_

The mirror cracked itself into pieces and nearly sent Vlad flying across his study. 

_Wards._ Powerful ones, to keep the likes of him out. Should have expected as much from Belmonts, but he needed _time_ to break them, time he did not have, time _his son_ did not have. He couldn't even open a portal right outside the wards and break them manually because of the fucking sunlight.

“Show me Adrian!” Vlad roared at the mirror. It assembled itself again and struggled against the wards, and if there were wards did that mean Adrian was on the Belmont lands? How did he get there, how did they find out about him? And where was Lisa, _what did those monsters do to his wife-?!_

“Sit still, this’ll be over in a minute,” the Belmont was saying as he knelt in front of Adrian and his hand was _on Adrian’s neck, he was-_

He was… Vlad took a moment to work out what he was seeing. Adrian sat relatively still on a stone bench, pouting, while the Belmont smeared some sort of white lotion over his face, ears and neck. His big, calloused hands gently passed over Adrian’s vulnerable spots _without_ doing any damage Vlad had been afraid of.

“Sleeves up,” the Belmont ordered him and this time, Adrian actually obeyed. The same lotion was rubbed into the skin of his arms and hands, and Adrian didn’t seem to be in pain from it.

“Quick question, do you eat human food?” the Belmont asked.

“Of course.”

“Great, because dinner is in an hour if you want to eat with us. Is chicken ciulama okay with you?”

“Yes,” Adrian nodded and let his father’s sworn enemy put his legs on his knees and rub yet more lotion over them.

“There, you’re done,” the Belmont patted his legs and stood up, “You’re free to go, just don’t jump into the fountain or we’ll have to do it all over again.”

“No promises!” Adrian grinned cheekily and bounced off. Completely unharmed. The Belmont didn’t even try to stop him.

“Simon!” the Belmont yelled next, “Your turn! Come here!”

“NEVEEEEER!!!” the redheaded child bellowed at the top of his lungs and ran away from his father. The Belmont didn’t even try to call him back but immediately gave chase. When the boy saw his father gaining on him he climbed on the edge of the fountain.

“Death before dishonor!” he screamed to the skies.

And then leapt into the water. 

The Belmont gaped after him in surprise before laughing so hard he was bent over double. In the background Vlad could see Adrian and the girl doing the same.

The adult Belmont eventually recovered and went to fish his offspring out of the fountain.

“Let me guess,” he was grinning as he held the boy by his armpits in the air, “Sumi’s been telling you stories again.”

The boy grinned back. Adrian and the girl were running around, screaming something about samurai. At one point Adrian turned into a wolf cub and started howling, and nobody even blinked. Well, the girl sat down and howled in tandem with him, but the adult Belmont just… let them. Let his own children play with the son of Dracula without a single word of warning. Treated him exactly the same as his own, even.

And Vlad… Vlad needed to sit down for a moment.

Just when Vlad thought it couldn’t get worse, another child joined the fray, this one a brunet around eight, lugging around a tome that was almost as big as he was.

“Daaaad,” he managed to lift the tome over his head mid-whine, “Dad, you promised we’d work on the Leshi page together!”

“We will,” the Belmont promised without looking away from the redhead he was slathering in lotion, “Just give me a minute to make sure your brother doesn’t burn to a crisp. Why don’t you ask Adrian about it? He actually saw it alive, he can tell you all about it.” 

“Really?!” the boy’s eyes turned as wide as saucers, then sought out Adrian. Who was currently hanging upside down from a nearby tree, and not as a bat, either.

“Yep, just leave the Bestiary inside. You don’t want to get cream all over it, it ruins the ink.”

“Okay,” the boy went back inside and returned ten seconds later without the book, then made a beeline for Adrian.

“Hi, I’m Chris!” he introduced himself cheerfully.

“I’m Adrian!” 

“Hey, you got fangs! Are you a werewolf?”

“That’s what I asked!” the girl piped in, also hanging upside down from the same branch.

“No, I’m a dhampyr!”

“Cool! Did you really see a Leshi?”

“Yes! It was as big as Father!”

“How big is that?”

“If you sat on Trevor’s shoulders, Father would still be taller than you!”

“Wooooow!” both small Belmonts were appropriately impressed. Vlad tried not to feel gratified and failed.

In the end, he covered his eyes from the painful view and flicked a claw at the mirror so the sound cut off, leaving just the sight of Adrian talking and three small Belmonts huddled around him, listening with rapt attention. 

Honestly, he thought he would prefer it if Adrian had gotten kidnapped by fairies again.

And so Vlad sat in his chair trying control his blood pressure, considering the ramifications of what the fuck he just saw.

In the end, he settled on two of the likeliest possibilities.

One: Adrian had botched the necessary runes and ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time. The adult Belmont thought he had simply come across a dhampyr and brought it back home as a worthwhile curiosity. Even Vlad had only _heard_ about half-vampires until he actually _made_ one, it was entirely likely that Belmonts hadn’t seen any before either. Bringing one home to study him and write about him in that infamous Bestiary sounded exactly like something Belmonts would do. And when they’d written down everything they could… Well, the beast still had to teach its offspring how to hunt living prey.

Not a particularly cheery option, but at least it meant Vlad had time.

Or, the more insidious option two: the Belmont knew _exactly_ who Adrian was and decided he was more valuable as bait. The wards prevented him from collecting his son directly, so he would have to actually come out of the Castle and right to their doorstep, likely straight into a trap. And if Vlad did nothing for too long, they might get impatient and start throwing around words like ‘vivisection’ and ‘maceration’.

The Belmonts of a century past had certainly tried similar tactics to get to him, now that he thought about it.

Hells, it was never a good thing to think about Belmonts, period. Just look what happened to Carmilla, and that was _after_ the Church had culled their numbers. 

Vlad had stayed out of the entire mess Carmilla generously called a campaign, for the most part. It was never a good idea to poke his nose into the squabbles of his minions, and no matter which territory they themselves ruled, he was the one who ruled all of them, so it made little difference to him. When Carmilla went on a warpath Vlad just told her to stay out of Wallachia itself and focused on teaching Lisa the finer points of human anatomy. 

He’d only interfered once, when he heard that the Forgemaster Carmilla had imprisoned was _Hector,_ of all people, because Death forbid that boy stayed out of trouble. Vlad went to Styria and pulled rank on her as soon as he found out. Carmilla wasn’t happy about handing over the source of her army, but she’d felt confident enough in her numbers that she ordered her sister to give him up in return for no further interference. Vlad had agreed and washed his hands of her.

Of course, then the one last Belmont the Church had managed to _miss_ had come out of the woodwork, wielding the Vampire Killer _and_ the Morning Star, and summarily cut down Carmilla’s army, vampires and demons alike. When it was over, Vlad’s generals had been like children shaking in their slippers, worried they were going to be the next stop on the Belmont’s warpath, and most of them didn’t have half the army Carmilla had amassed to throw at him as a buffer.

Vlad had just pointed out that the Belmont had since returned to his ancestral lands and had more qualms with the Church than any creature of the night. The entire court breathed a collective sigh of relief, even cautiously hoping that now that the Church had made the enemy of Belmonts, all they would have to do was wait a few decades for their two biggest oppositions to destroy each other. 

Vlad recalled what had happened when the Church had tried to stop Leon from doing whatever he damn well pleased. If a betting pool was opened, he sure wasn’t going to put his money on the Church. But the Belmonts had not posed a significant threat to him in over a century, so Vlad had been content to ignore them as long as they didn’t come sniffing around his Castle.

As it turned out, he was just as stupid and arrogant as Carmilla had been, and the Belmonts had no pity to spare for him any more than they had for her. Now they had his son in their clutches, and all Vlad could do was hope they wouldn’t do him any harm before nightfall.

Hells below, how was he going to explain this to Lisa?

Vlad peeked through his fingers almost helplessly, but he was greeted with the deceptively innocent sight of his son wielding a wooden toy sword against the eldest Belmont child, the adult nowhere in sight. The Belmont brood didn’t seem particularly aggressive, and by all appearances saw Adrian as a playmate instead of a prey their father brought home as hunting practice.

It was, in short, as safe as it was going to get. For now.

The last time Adrian got taken, Vlad had gone to the Fae Queen himself to bargain for the safe return of his son, one monarch to another. Unfortunately, that wasn’t going to work here. If the first scenario was true, Vlad showing up at the Belmont doorstep was tantamount to signing Adrian’s death warrant. And if the second scenario was true, he would be willingly walking into a trap. Neither option sounded good.

He was startled out of his musings by the children stopping their play and suddenly running in different directions. The adult Belmont came out of the shade and started chasing them, causing Vlad’s blood pressure to skyrocket yet again. But instead of Adrian, he first went after the youngest boy, catching him in under a minute. The girl was caught soon after and tucked under his other arm, which left him with no free arms to chase after the other children.

Then the eldest Belmont child proved his heritage by coming up to his father and presenting him with a disgruntled looking wolf cub. The adult Belmont smiled proudly, full of teeth, and they carried their catch inside.

Vlad had his hands on the mirror before he knew what he was doing. Not much he _could_ do, with the wards in place and the sun blazing down at its favorites as if to protect them from Dracula’s wrath. 

And the question of _whose_ wards they were was answered when the adult Belmont passed a woman with hair as red as his youngest and a belly heavy with another babe. Vlad could feel the magic practically dripping from her even through the mirror, the same kind that had nearly blasted him to pieces when he tried to break through.

He should have known the moment he felt those wards, really. Sorceresses were notoriously territorial. And _this_ one had mated with a _Belmont,_ so she was either very ambitious or very naive. Vlad wondered if the Belmont knew just what his wife was, or if the sorceress was going to wake up dead and burned in her marriage bed someday.

But she wasn’t his concern.

The Belmont took his brood to a washroom, handed each of them wet washcloths and proceeded to try and make his youngest something approaching clean. Adrian, at least, demonstrated proper upbringing by cleaning his face and hands without complaint. The adult Belmont handed them all soft house slippers to put on, which made Vlad wonder just what had Adrian been wearing before. He was still wearing the nightshirt Vlad had dressed him in when he put him to bed, and it would be just like the fool boy to go traipsing off without any shoes. At least he had pants on.

Once presentable, the adult Belmont herded them all to the dining room for his wife’s inspection. She looked them over and judged them clean enough, then arranged them at the table to her liking. 

They said no prayers before their meal, and Vlad was not surprised. But the meal itself was oddly informal considering the plate arrangement. There were no elbows on the table and nobody chewed with their mouth full, not even the youngest boy, but neither were there napkins put down on laps and no order in which the meal was served. It was casual without being vulgar, warm and familial. Deceptively safe.

And then something strange caught Vlad’s eye. 

Adrian had a different set of utensils than others. The Belmonts had standard nobleman’s silverware, but the spoon in Adrian’s hand had a yellowish sheen. Brass, most likely. So it wouldn’t burn him.

For some reason, it was that little detail that finally sent Vlad’s hackles down from the height they’d climbed since he saw the Belmont crest on the man’s back. Like this tiny courtesy was a proof they didn’t want to hurt his son. Not yet, perhaps, but he dared not hope for ‘not at all’.

It was nevertheless enough to make him turn his eyes away.

“Show me Lisa,” he told the mirror, and the sight of his son nestled like a cuckoo chick in a nest of herons changed to the sight of his wife, beautiful and vibrant and _safe_. Untouched and unspooked, she had clearly not seen Belmonts wearing false smiles and fangs hidden better than any vampire. She, at least, was not in danger.

Vlad did not need to breathe, but he sighed in relief nonetheless, and in the same breath swore that, once Adrian was back safe in his mother’s arms, Dracula would finish what the Church had started.

There will be no more Belmonts after this.

Vlad waited for the old woman Lisa was talking with to leave before he wrote the runes to open a portal into her home.

“Vlad!” Lisa jumped in surprise, then ran to pull the curtains on the windows closed before he could walk into the sunlight they let in. 

“Darling, not that I’m not happy to see you, but what’s wrong?” Lisa asked once she’d walked into his arms.

Vlad didn’t feel like he could let go of her. “It’s about Adrian.”

“What, did he get kidnapped by fairies again?” Lisa asked jokingly.

Vlad stayed silent, and her smile fell from her lips. “Oh dear.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Someone wanna tell Vlad he's not watching Discovery Channel? ^_^
> 
> Fun fact I discovered while doing research for this fic: lunch used to be called dinner, and dinner was called supper. So Trevor is actually inviting Adrian to lunch, they haven't been playing until nightfall.


	4. Sypha

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm getting my wisdom teeth yanked out today, so you get this one early. Also, there is a disappointing lack of sources about the customs of 15th century Transylvania, at least translated into English, so I apologise if I got something grossly wrong.
> 
> WARNING: Brief mention of bathtub sex. Non-graphic.

Sypha had always wanted a big family. She had grown up in a Speaker caravan, where everyone travelling with her had been considered family, and she wanted to have it again. And that included having an entire army of children. When the subject had come up she said as much to Trevor, who had been over the moon about it. It took him approximately two minutes to start picking out names.

It took Sypha two days to realize there had been a bit of a miscommunication.

In Speaker communities, everybody took care of everyone else’ s children, and depending on the size of the caravan and the number of orphans they’d picked up on the way that could mean _a lot_ of kids. Sypha had chased after more brats than she could count while she herself was barely even considered an adult. She liked children, liked caring for them and teaching them, liked how they listened and asked questions when she told stories, liked playing games with them and watching them grow. She had been entirely honest when she said she wanted a lot of children.

She hadn’t quite realized that, now that she was considered a part of the Settled Folk, that meant _birthing them all herself._

That… Was quite a bit of an awkward conversation, but Trevor, bless his heart, had been more than willing to compromise. It was important for him to have at least one son, to carry on the family name, but everything else was optional. Once they had Trevor’s ancestral estate populated and running smoothly they could have a dozen children adopted as wards and it would be just fine with Trevor.

As it turned out, that conversation had almost seemed like a moot point. Either by heritage or magic, Sypha was one of those women who had mostly easy pregnancies, uncomplicated births and quick recovery. So when Christopher was almost weaned, Sypha had broached the subject of another baby. Trevor had been even more delighted, and when Sonia was born the subject was broached again. And then again.

“How many children _do_ you want?” she had asked.

“As many as you are willing to give me,” Trevor had told her with a heart melting smile, a baby in his arms and a toddler on his lap. He looked to be a step away from rapture, holding their children, those who would carry on the Belmont legacy, and Sypha couldn’t look away from him if she tried. 

She had once heard a woman say that having a husband who was so incredibly charming and handsome was actually a curse in diguise. Sypha knew the woman had been thinking about infidelity, but she felt it applied here, because dammit but Sypha was willing to bring back the entire Belmont clan herself as long as Trevor kept looking at them with such love and pride on his face, even if it meant staying in one place for the rest of her life.

To be fair, it helped that the place in question had warm hearths and comfortable beds, a massive underground archive and a whole slew of interesting people with even more interesting stories coming to her instead of the other way around. 

Anyway, moot point or no, she remembered that conversation about adopting a dozen wards from nearly a decade ago, when Trevor inevitably returned home from a hunt with a child on his hip. The fact that the child in question was half-vampire had been unexpected, but considering that maybe half of their tenants were strictly human, it wasn’t particularly surprising. She’d figured it was only a matter of time.

Honestly, Sypha was more surprised Trevor planned to return him.

“Hey, don’t give me that look,” Trevor mock-pouted as they watched Adrian play with their kids in the garden, “If he’d actually been abandoned it would be one thing, but I’m not going to take a kid away from his parents if they’re taking good care of him. And by all accounts, _they are.”_

“I didn’t say anything,” Sypha played dumb, “Though I also haven’t heard any idea of _how_ you’re going to return him, since neither of you have any idea where he’s even from.”

“Well if his folks have a distance mirror I’m betting the problem will solve itself,” Trevor shrugged, “And if not, he said his mom lives near Targoviste, so if worst comes to worst we can go on a roadtrip.”

“Well it would certainly cure him of the notion that you actually smell nice,” Sypha ribbed him gently.

“Hey now, I can’t help if my manly musk is so attractive,” Trevor ribbed right back, “And you can’t blame the kid for developing good taste so young.”

“I’m actually a little more worried that he’s a half-vampire who followed a vampire hunter home because he ‘smelled nice’, and therefore ‘couldn’t be bad’,” Sypha told him, dry as she could manage.

“Well, was he wrong?”

Sypha punched his arm. “And if the next person he meets isn’t so nice but smells better than you?”

“Impossible, I’m a Belmont. We’re like catnip for vampires. Why did you think we became hunters in the first place?”

“And here I thought it had something to do with that pretty blond ancestor of yours swearing revenge on the night because his best friend was turned into a vampire?”

“Well, that too, but it was also the only way to get through the night without some creeper pawing at you,” Trevor made a face, “You would be surprised how often that happened to me before I figured out I need to mask my scent.”

“Wait, you mean smelling awful actually _was_ a form of protection?” Sypha asked incredulously.

“Well, yeah,” he turned a gimlet eye towards her, “You mean you really didn’t believe me?”

“I thought you just hated baths!” 

“And you didn’t notice that I bathe regularly, on my own, if I don’t have to sleep under a tree?” 

Sypha felt like her entire worldview shifted on its axis. Trevor looked like a dog with a bone. “Really Belnades, ten years you’ve spent with me without figuring it out? And here I thought you were ever so fond of your, what was it again? Tools of deductive reasoning?”

“Shut up,” Sypha groaned into her hands. Oh dear Gods and all the Saints, Trevor was never going to let her live this down.

“You do realize I’m never letting you live this down, right?” Trevor said with a gigantic shit-eating grin. “Ne-e-ver.”

“Oh shut up give the children a wash-up,” Sypha pushed him away with a hand on his face, “Dinner is almost ready. I’ll go help set the table.”

“Well, I suppose,” Trevor, the bastard, didn’t budge an inch, “If you’d not prefer to have _me_ on the table-”

“Trevor!” Sypha spun around, ready to roast him if only her magic would _actually obey her for once_ , but Trevor had already run out and was once more chasing children like he was a child himself.

As if he knew what was going on, Juste started kicking _again._

“Not you too,” Sypha rubbed the spot where he’d tried to break out, “You still have two months to go before you can join them.”

Juste just kicked harder. He’d been doing that _a lot_ today, god only knew what had him in such a tizzy. Sypha sighed and went to dig up the non-silver cutlery. She didn’t know if the silver would affect a half-vampire but she didn’t feel like testing that theory on their guest.

Lucky for her, she caught Sumi just as she was leaving the weaving room, the newly finished cloth folded and ready to be dyed. Sumi was an excellent weaver, and she moved the loom beater with such force that any cloth she made was so tightly woven it draped beautifully. Lavinia had been ecstatic the first time she’d been presented with Sumi’s work, and mostly used it to make Sypha’s and Trevor’s clothes, something Sumi had been unexpectedly proud of herself for.

“Sumi, there you are,” she waved the young woman over, “Do you remember where we keep the brass cutlery?”

“The storage room on the second floor, in the old mahogany display,” Sumi promptly answered, “I can go get it.”

“Sumi, I’m pregnant, not lame,” Sypha waved her concerns off, pretending that was what she meant, “And we only need one set for now, depending on how long Adrian is staying.”

“Ah, yes,” Sumi worried her lower lip, “That.”

“Is something wrong?” 

“No, not as such,” Sumi still looked uncomfortable, “But… Taka said Lord Belmont intended to return the boy.”

“Well, yes,” Sypha blinked, “I thought you would be relieved he’s not staying.”

“I have no problem with the boy by himself,” Sumi fiddled with the fabric, not looking at Sypha, “But… If you were to have his parents as guests too, I would ask that Taka and I be assigned tasks elsewhere.”

“Oh,” Sypha finally understood, “It probably won’t happen, you don’t need to worry so much. But if by any chance they do come here, you have my express permission to take the day off. Taka as well.”

Sumi looked shocked at that. “Thank you, Lady Sypha,” she bowed reflexively, caught herself and scampered away.

Sypha sighed again. People had been bowing to her for nearly nine years and she still had to curb the urge to stop them. It was a jarring transition, to go from a scorned and detested Speaker to a noble lady that ruled her husband’s estate. The fact that she and Trevor weren’t married, not lawfully at least, didn’t seem to matter one bit.

It had been a shock for Sypha, when she first realized what staying with Trevor would mean. He had been a wanderer, a lone hunter travelling with less direction than a lost Speaker when she met him, wild enough to almost be called feral. It hadn’t really sunken in that he was actual _nobility_ until they’d already defeated Carmilla and Trevor was being addressed as _Lord Belmont_. Not until an actual Cardinal of the Church had given Trevor some official-looking papers with sweaty hands and a nervous look, papers that granted him his _lands_ back.

Lands he wanted to share with Sypha, he’d said, if she would take him for a husband. He’d wanted to share his life with her, but he’d known that the life he had in mind, the life of a Belmont, a Lord and a Hunter both, was not the life Sypha had ever seen herself living.

Her grandfather had been of no help, insisting that it was something Sypha had to choose for herself. Somewhat surprisingly, it was Grant who actually helped her make up her mind.

“Are you crazy, woman?” he’d balked when she explained her predicament, “There is an extremely handsome and rich guy who is head over heels in love with you asking you to- Okay, live in sin with him, since he literally threw that priest out the window, I don’t think marriage is on the table for you, but still. _And_ he has a massive archive full of spellbooks and shit, I thought you’d be willing to marry him just for that!”

“I’m still a Speaker,” Sypha had insisted, “Aren’t I throwing everything away if I just… become one of those posh ladies who embroider all day and talk about dinner settings? I’m awful at embroidery!”

“So?” Grant was still looking at her like she was crazy, “You really think Trevor expects you change once you not-marry him? Sypha, he fell in love with you when he saw you raze an army of demons to the ground with fireballs, he would probably splash you with holy water if you started talking about high fashion or something.”

“Still…”

“Still what? You can still do Speaker stuff, if that’s what you’re worried about. Speakers go around helping people and collecting their stories, right? This way, people would be coming to you for help, and you’d actually be in a perfect position to do just that! Plus, you said that Speakers sometimes have patrons they stay with during winter, now you can be one of those! Besides,” he’d eyed Trevor, shirtless and swinging a hammer, bantering with the other workers like he was one of them, “Men like him come once a generation, if they come at all. You miss this one, you will never meet someone like him again. Don’t miss him just because you’re afraid of change.”

After that conversation, Sypha had taken another day to think on it. But Grant had been right, on all accounts. Fundamentally, she wouldn’t be changing who she was by accepting Trevor’s proposal. What Trevor was offering was an _adventure_ , but instead of battling demons it involved battling taxes. And she could help a lot more people as a noble lady with Speaker ideals than as a travelling mage killing monsters. Which she could continue doing on occasion anyway, as a wife of a monster hunter. If she played it right, she could get everything she wanted and compromise very little, and all it would take, in theory at least, was learning some fancy table manners.

When she told her grandfather her decision, he had seemed proud of her. He’d been right: she had to make the choice for herself. She certainly hadn’t regretted it so far.

“Sypha?” Trevor’s voice cut her out of her musings. He had Simon and Sonia under his arms, and Christopher was dragging Adrian by the hand behind him.

“I’m fine, just a little spacey,” Sypha smiled reassuringly. “I was just getting the brass cutlery.”

“Oh yeah, good thinking,” Trevor smiled back sunnily, “I’ll go scrub these bastard down, hopefully they’ll be at least somewhat presentable in ten minutes.”

“Wow, I didn’t realize you’ve become a miracle worker in the past hour,” Sypha teased, “And I thought I told you to stop calling our children bastards!”

“But we are,” Christopher said innocently.

“Not helping, Chris,” Sypha groaned while Trevor laughed like a loon. Sypha shooed them off towards the washroom and went to get the promised cutlery.

When she came back their cook, Antoneta, was just setting the soup on the table. 

“Here comes the pickle thief!” the old woman grinned mischievously and Sypha turned red as a beet.

“You saw me, didn’t you,” she groaned into her hands.

“Not as stealthy as you usually are,” Antoneta patted her cheek, “And I know better than to get in between a girl and whatever her babe demands. So long as you keep it down, all is good. But I would appreciate being asked instead of finding my stores ravaged.”

Sypha meekly nodded and slipped away to replace the utensils at the plate next to where Trevor usually sat. She sat on the other end, as Antoneta always insisted she should, next to Simon’s spot. 

Trevor returned shortly, like a shepherd herding sheep to pasture. Sypha just pointed to the spot where Adrian should sit, and Sonia elbowed Christopher aside so she could sit next to him. 

“Is this okay? Trevor said you can eat human food but he didn’t say if there is something specific you can’t,” Sypha asked Adrian as she ladled soup onto their plates. 

“I can eat everything Mother can,” Adrian told her with a sunny smile, then quickly backtracked, “Except cabbage. That’s bad.”

“Does it make you _explode?_ ” Sonia asked over her plate with far too much excitement.

“Yes,” Adrian said solemnly, and it only made Sonia grin wider.

“Why?” Christopher asked in genuine confusion, “It does no harm to either vampires or humans, why is it harmful to you?”

For a moment, Sypha thought Adrian would flounder after being caught in a lie, but he schooled his expression pretty fast. “Due to my mixed _heritage_ , some traits are _lessened_ and some traits are _amplified_ ,” he said in the same voice the village teacher used on his youngest class, “My mother has a mild _aversion_ to cabbage. For me, it is much more _severe_.”

Christopher stared at him blankly.

“Wow,” Trevor looked astonished, “Kid, you have a bigger vocabulary than I do. Where did you learn all those big words?”

“Mother is a doctor, and Father is a polymath,” Adrian all but puffed up with pride at Trevor’s praise, “Father said it is important for nobles to be _articulate,_ and the sooner I started learning the better.”

“Yeah, I bet he did,” Trevor looked like he couldn’t decide between rolling his eyes and laughing. Sypha hid her own laughter behind her hand.

Dinner went on like that, and at one point Sypha got into a competition with Adrian to see who knew more ‘big words’. Trevor and their children just looked at them in horror the more syllables they were adding with every turn. 

“Con-san-guineous,” Adrian cautiously rolled off his tongue, “It means ‘having descended from the same ancestor’.”

“True,” Sypha nodded and rifled a little deeper into her memory stores. She caught Trevor’s eye and couldn’t help but smirk. “Polyphiloprogenitive: prolific at producing offspring.”

“Happy to help,” Trevor snickered.

“Pul-chri-tudinous,” Adrian offered, “Possessing physical beauty.”

“Tergiversation,” Spyha turned her smirk in his direction, “Meaning equivocation, prevarication or circumlocution.”

“That’s cheating!” Adrian protested, then glared at her like he was going to jump over the table at her.

“How? All of those words describe the first, and are as such its definitions,” Sypha said smugly, and she really shouldn’t be feeling this much satisfaction at beating a _four-year-old_ in a _word game._

Said four-year-old was extremely determined not to be beaten. He took a minute to think of something suitably impressive, then turned to Sypha with an air of triumph.

“Dis-com-bob-u-late,” he said proudly, “To confuse, or _bewilder._ ”

And really, Sypha didn’t have the heart to steal his thunder. She pretended to think for a long minute, then gave an appropriately dramatic sigh of defeat.

“Wow,” Trevor whistled, “You managed to beat a Speaker in a word game. You sure you’re actually four and not just forty in vampire years?”

“Yes, I’m sure,” Adrian huffed as if offended, “And you’re a Speaker?”

“Yes. Or I used to be, before this handsome lug came along and seduced me with his demon-killing skills,” Sypha laughed.

“Now hold on a second,” Trevor said mock-indignantly, “If I remember correctly, _you_ seduced _me_ with your demon-killing skills. _I_ seduced you with my sprawling family archive of dusty old spellbooks.”

“Oh yes, Mother said she married Father for his library as well,” Adrian said musingly, throwing both Sypha and Trevor off track.

“What?” Trevor asked.

“Mother said that she wanted to be a doctor, but there was nobody to teach her,” Adrian explained, “So she went up to Father’s castle and beat on his door until he answered, and then bothered him until he agreed to teach her medicine.”

Now everybody was staring at Adrian in bewilderment, even the servants. 

“Damn,” Trevor was clearly impressed, “Kid, how would your mother feel about becoming a monster hunter?”

“I think she already is, just not in the way you have in mind, Trevor,” Sypha pointed out. Trevor nearly choked on a mushroom trying not to laugh.

“Mother wouldn’t,” Adrian protested, but his words started to sound a bit sluggish. He yawned a moment later. “She wants to help people, not hurt them.”

“Well the two are not mutually exclusive, unfortunately, so you let me know if she changes her mind,” Trevor put his fork down and got up, “Alright, naptime. You lot look ready to fall asleep on those plates, and I wouldn’t mind a lie-down myself.”

“Adrian is sleeping with me!” Sonia found the strength to sit up and grab Adrian’s arm in a vice grip, daring Trevor to protest.

“Okay,” Trevor wisely didn’t.

“Do we have to?” Christopher whined but he was barely keeping his eyes open as well, “You said we were going to work on the Leshi together.”

“The Bestiary isn’t going anywhere, kiddo,” Trevor assured him, “We’ll work on it when we’re fresh and rested.”

“Fine,” Simon crossed his arms, “But only if mommy tells that story how Uncle Grant tricked those Arabian traders.”

“I think you know it better than I do by now, but sure,” Sypha got up and took over the task of herding the children, “I’ll take it from here. Trevor, you go take a proper bath, I had one drawn for you.”

“Is this still about-?”

“No!” Sypha shot him a _look,_ “It’s because you’ve been hunting, riding and then rolling about in the garden like a dog with his puppies. Go bathe.”

“Are we the puppies?” Sonia asked.

“I’m a _wolf,_ ” Adrian insisted in response. 

“But I thought you said you _weren’t_ a werewolf,” Christopher asked, confused.

It… Devolved from there, really. Sypha stayed quiet as the children argued amongst themselves whether or not Adrian could technically be considered a type of werewolf as well. She did a better job of scrubbing the dirt and white powder off them than they did the first time around and stuffed them all into their nightshirts. 

It was only then that she noticed that Adrian had been wearing one the entire time.

“Oh,” Adrian blinked sleepily at his sleeves when she pointed it out, green and brown now that he’d been tumbling around the garden all noon, “Yes. I had to wait until Father went to sleep to find the mirror. I forgot to change my shirt.”

“Oh dear,” Sypha helped him out of it and put it aside to be washed, “So you’re saying it’s actually hours past your bedtime.” Well he was half-vampire, it would make sense that he was supposed to be sleeping during the day.

Adrian glared at her for that but didn’t get a chance to protest before a yawn split his face. Sypha put him in one of Sonia’s nightshirts and didn’t protest when all four of them climbed into Christopher’s bed. 

Then the miracle of all miracles happened: Simon fell asleep the moment his head hit the pillow. The last time that had happened he was still suckling. Sypha actually just sat at the edge of the bed and stared for a minute, and that minute was enough for everyone else to drop off as well.

Well. She supposed playing with a dhampyr really wore you out. Maybe they _should_ have Adrian over again.

But her mind went back to the conversation with Sumi. Sumi who was usually bright and happy and ready for anything, but melted into the shadows and held her breath whenever either Trevor or Sypha showed even a hint of temper. And Taka, who never walked anywhere without a _tanto,_ not just for self-defense but for self-slaughter, in case death ever became a more attractive option.

Who had asked three times if there were any vampires in their village before they agreed to stay. Who both knew how to serve and sing and dance and fight, but had been tricked countless times over because they had no idea how handling money worked, hadn’t known how humans raised amongst humans worked.

They crossed half the world on nothing but luck, pain and a desperate conviction that anything out there couldn’t be worse than what waited for them if they ever turned back.

They said they didn’t have any problems with Adrian, either because he was half-human or because he was a child, and Sypha believed them. For people who were raised in a vampire’s court they were almost painfully easy to read. But Sumi had asked they be nowhere near if a vampire actually came into their midst as a _guest_ instead of an enemy, inside the walls they had been told were _safe,_ and Sypha didn’t want to ruin all the progress they had painstakingly made. Especially after that _incident._

She was no closer to making up her mind by the time all four children were sound asleep in a puppy pile. She stroked Sonia’s hair, golden and fine like Sypha’s father, like Trevor’s mother. It made her wonder what Juste’s hair would be like, which pattern would repeat itself.

And Adrian’s hair, a few shades lighter than Sonia’s, did not stand out at all amongst her actual children. 

It really was a shame he couldn’t stay, but perhaps it was for the best.

Sypha got up to pull the thick curtains closed, leaving the room in near complete darkness, then left to go find Trevor. 

He’d actually listened to her, for once, and was napping in the tub in their bedroom, one foot out in the air. Feeling mischief overtake her, Sypha closed and locked the doors and quietly snuck up on Trevor. When he didn’t so much as twitch she ran her fingers over the sole of his foot.

The reaction was instantaneous and hilarious.

“The mighty Belmont,” she waved her arms dramatically, “Defeated by an evil sorceress. Caught unarmed and disrobed, taken unawares. And it was his _downfall._ ”

“Excuse me, I did hear you coming,” Trevor protested, his pride obviously wounded after having flailed like a wet bird from a simple tickle, “I just didn’t expect such betrayal from my own wife.”

“Bold words for someone who won’t stop calling our children bastards,” she pointed out, but he really did look cute with that pout on his face so she decided to kill two birds with one stone and started taking her clothes off. 

“I like this apology,” Trevor said with a besotted smile, and there really was no better power trip than him still looking at her like she was Aphrodite herself even after ten years and three children. He held her steady as she stepped into the tub and pulled her close when she straddled his lap. Sypha barely noticed when her magic decided to make a brief reappearance to heat the bathwater again. Trevor certainly appreciated it, going by the noises he made.

One good thing about bathtub sex: the cleanup was already half done by the time the afterglow faded and it was time to make themselves presentable. Sypha was just toweling off when a servant knocked on their door.

“Lord Belmont, Eskel has returned, and he brought a woman here to see you,” the servant, Maria, said, “She says her name is Lisa, and that she is the mother of the young guest, Adrian. She bears a striking resemblance, and passed through the wall unharmed.”

“Huh, that solved itself faster than I thought,” Trevor said casually as he pulled on his underclothes. “Sit her down in the parlor and pour her some good wine, the poor woman probably needs it. We’ll be down in a minute.”

“Yes, Lord Belmont.” 

“Do you really think it’s her?” Sypha asked dubiously.

“Well she came through the wall, didn’t she?” Trevor shrugged, “Probably found him with the distance mirror and came the same way Adrian did. We’ll talk to her a bit, see if everything adds up.”

“Alright,” Sypha acquiesced and went to pull one of her house dresses out of the closet. Her eyes fell on the blue one, dyed the same color as the Speaker robes that Trevor ordered made for her, and embroidered the designs in silver thread himself. 

That was another unexpected skill she hadn’t know Trevor had until they’d already been living together. When she had first inquired about it, Trevor had grumbled something about the Belmont crest not sewing itself.

When she asked the same question a few years later, Trevor cheerfully told her that he’d stayed in a lot of brothels when he was younger, first as a helping hand and then as a guard, and a few of the working girls had taught him how to embroider when he asked. 

It certainly wasn’t the only skill Trevor had learned from prostitutes, but Sypha supposed she couldn’t complain since she was the one reaping the benefits now. 

Anyway, he had put those embroidering skills to use and gifted Sypha a housedress for their anniversary, and Sypha had been so touched by the thought and detail that went into it she had almost started crying. In her defense, she was pregnant at the time.

Made of blue cloth, too pale to normally be considered a noblewoman’s dress, it had short, billowy oversleeves stretching into a hood lined with lace, with a dark grey underskirt and white sash that could be adjusted to fit for pregnancy. It was beautifully done, and the silver-thread designs Trevor had worked into it featured motifs from her favorite legends. It was a single garment that both proclaimed her wealth and marked her as a Speaker, and Sypha almost always wore it when they had to entertain guests they didn’t like, or those that expected a refined, noble lady and found her wanting.

She didn’t know if this Lisa woman counted, but she supposed she was about to find out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So we get a bit more history here, some slice-of-married-life bits, Sypha's struggles in the beginning of their relationship and yet another Easter egg character!


	5. Lisa

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I currently have two holes in my jaw, and yet this fic is still not letting me go. Pray for me.

When Vlad told her Adrian had been kidnapped again, this time by humans, Lisa honestly hadn’t known if it was better or worse than the time with the fairies. When Vlad told her _which_ humans were responsible, Lisa was even less sure how to feel about it.

She didn’t know much about the Belmont family, other than what she’d heard spoken in her husband’s court and from her patients, and those stories tended to differ so wildly Lisa had no hope of picking out the truth either way. 

She’d been there when Vlad had summoned his council to discuss Carmilla’s defeat at the hands of the last Belmont. Fledglings that had come to bring reports had been shaking as they described the slaughter they saw. One had actually started crying, prompting one of the generals, Godbrand, to quietly take him aside and calm him down. The rest of the court tried to hide it, but they had been palpably afraid of this unknown human who fought with a whip, of all things.

On the other hand, the stories her patients told had been a bit more mixed. Every so often a beast would surface in Wallachia that the ordinary folk couldn’t handle, and within a few days a hunter would come and take care of it, sometimes even without collecting his due. In more recent years, people had noticed that it wasn’t always the same man, but always one that bore the Belmont crest in some way.

Some people feared them but considered them necessary. Some feared them and scorned them as little better than the monsters they hunted. Some respected them even though they disapproved of their split from the Church. And one had quietly confessed that it was a good thing they shunned the Church and all it stood for, after what had been done to them. 

Some traders told stories of the Belmont village, only so called because it would need a church to be a town, how it seemed like an ordinary village until you looked a little closer and saw the horrors lurking underneath the surface. That it was the place godless folk came and brought their demons as pets, settled in the knowledge it was the closest place to Purgatory they could get on Earth.

Perhaps the Belmonts could only kill any monster they came across, no matter how fierce or dangerous or exotic, because they themselves were monsters wearing human skins, some said. There were even rumors that the Lord Belmont had been ensorcelled by a witch and tricked into marrying her, and that was why the Church was no longer welcome on his lands. Rumors and stories and legends and hearsay, all surrounded the Belmont family and their lands and none could agree on even a single detail.

There was a grain of truth in all of those, Lisa knew, but picking that grain out seemed to be a hopeless task.

But she had the one thing most gossipmongers didn’t: her husband’s mirror. So while Vlad was off in his alchemy lab, constructing an amulet that would allow him to temporarily breach the wards if needed, Lisa sat in her husband’s chair and watched. 

But what she saw was completely different from what she’d been expecting. 

The Lord Belmont was younger than she thought he would be, barely in his early thirties if Lisa was any judge. He had a kind smile and a handsome face, not at all diminished by the scar over his eye. Really, _this_ was the man whose mere name caused the entire vampire court to tremble in fear? Lisa had expected someone more like her husband, honestly, though she sure wasn’t telling him that.

His wife, who was indeed a sorceress according to Vlad, seemed just as young and charming, and their children had not fallen far from the family tree, all of them fair, blue-eyed and precocious. The mirror showed them sitting at the dinner table eating and having a lively conversation. Moreover, Adrian sat with them with absolutely no unease in either his voice or body language. 

He got into a word game with the Lady of the house and she let him win, cheekily told them Lisa had married Vlad for his library (she couldn’t help but laugh out loud at that, she hadn’t thought he even remembered that joke!) and lied through his teeth about the adverse effects of cabbage consumption, the brat. He was a polite guest and seemed as charmed by his hosts as they were with him.

When the children started yawning Lady Belmont took them all to wash and change clothes, and put them to bed. When the curtains were drawn and she was gone, Adrian wiggled on the bed until he had his nose buried in the back of the little girl’s neck. He took a deep breath, puffed it out happily and fell asleep. Warm, clean, fed and perfectly unharmed, even though Vlad made it sound like he was a baby rabbit that wandered into a wolf den and decided to take a nap right under the wolf’s jaws.

That was the point where Lisa decided she was going to get her son by herself, and preferably talk to the Belmonts before she made up her mind on anything.

She would have probably gotten a milder reaction from Vlad if she’d told him she wanted a divorce.

“ _Absolutely not!_ ” he’d roared loud enough that the windows rattled, “It’s bad enough they’d gotten their claws into Adrian, I will not have you put in danger as well!”

“Vlad,” Lisa shot him an admonishing look and held it until he quieted down, “I honestly don’t think I _will_ be in any danger. You saw for yourself, they’ve treated Adrian with nothing but kindness, even though they know what he is. Well,” she amended, “I’m not entirely sure they’re aware _you_ are Adrian’s father. That’s why I think it would be better if I go talk to them.”

“Lisa,” Vlad grit through his teeth, obviously trying very hard to control his temper. Lisa took a moment to be proud of his progress. “Lisa, they are _Belmonts_. They could have both of you dead before you even activate the amulet!”

“So could you,” Lisa pointed out, “The trick here being that you _won’t._ I don’t think they will harm me either, and even if they do I doubt I won’t have enough time to press a simple button on a locket, Vlad.”

“They took Adrian, Lisa,” Vlad insisted, “Death only knows what they plan on doing to him, you think they will just return him to you like you are picking him up from a playdate?”

Lisa took a moment to consider it. “Well, so far, they’ve let him play with their children all day, fed him dinner, cleaned him up and put him down for a nap. So I guess you’re right, this does count as a playdate.”

Vlad looked ready to pop a blood vessel.

“Darling,” Lisa cupped his cheek in her hand, giving him a kind smile, “Sometimes, when you expect the best of people they will rise up to try and meet those expectations. Remember Isaac?”

“Lisa, that is completely different.”

“Why? Because they’re Belmonts?” Lisa snorted inelegantly, “You should hear some of the stories they say about you. And I know for a fact that at least a few of them are true. That still doesn’t make you a monster, just as a few stories by terrified soldiers and an overblown family history doesn’t make _them_ monsters either.”

Vlad had no response for that, finally accepting that Lisa wasn’t going to budge on this subject. She took a hold of his collar and pulled him down to her level so she could peck his lips. Massive arms wrapped around her, engulfing her in his cloak like that in itself would be enough to stop her from leaving. She allowed Vlad that illusion for a moment, knew he needed it, but when she drew away he didn’t try and stop her.

“Love, there is no need to be afraid,” she assured him, “You will be watching me, won’t you?”

“Of course,” Vlad’s face softened, one claw coming up to push a lock of hair out of her eye, “I will do everything in my power to keep you safe.”

“You already have,” Lisa pointed out, “Now let me do my part.”

And that was how Lisa found herself stepping out of the mirror portal in front of the double doors that led into the village of Lord Belmont. 

In theory, they probably knew she was coming already, as Vlad told her there were sensory spells on the land itself. The problem was getting past the wards built into the wall, and if it became necessary Lisa would activate the spell on the amulet and Vlad would use the split-second disruption to pull her out.

Hopefully it wouldn’t be necessary. _Hopefully_.

Lisa stood before the doors for a moment, wondering if there was someone who was supposed to let her in or if it was fine to open them herself. Vlad said it was the border of the inner wards, but he didn’t know which geas they operated under, so it was hard to say how it would react to uninvited humans.

Luckily the dilemma solved itself.

A man on horseback was approaching the gates when he spotted her. As he came closer Lisa noticed he was wearing peculiar armor and two swords on his back, and that his face was scarred far more heavily than Lord Belmont’s.

“Can I help you?” he asked in a harsh, almost metallic voice when he came to the gates, suspicious but not hostile. Lisa would take it.

“My name is Lisa of Lupu,” she introduced herself with her most charming smile, “I’m looking for my son, Adrian. I was told he was brought here.”

The man looked confused for a moment before his face lit up with recognition. “The vampire _chłopak_ Lambert saw with Lord Belmont? You’re his mom?”

“Yes,” Lisa smiled with a bit of relief, “Do you know where he is?”

“Probably terrorizing the servants with the rest of the Lord’s brats,” the man said lightly and jumped off his horse, “Sorry for being rude, my name is Eskel. If you like I can take you to Lord Belmont, I need to go over there to report anyway.”

“That would be excellent, thank you,” Lisa said, managing to hide her surprise when she saw the man’s eyes.

Distinctly _inhuman_ eyes. She supposed this was the grain of truth in the rumors that Lord Belmont kept monsters on his lands. To hunt other monsters, if the bloodied sack that hung on the horse’s flank was any indication. That most certainly wasn’t human blood, as Lisa would know.

Eskel pushed open the gates with ease, either not noticing or pretending not to notice Lisa’s curiosity. “After you, madam.”

Recognizing the gesture for what it really was, Lisa nodded and cautiously stepped through.

She certainly felt _something_ when she passed, almost like walking through a spider web she hadn’t noticed in time. It sent a shiver up her spine but otherwise did nothing else. 

Step one complete.

Eskel led his horse through with ease, his smile now far more genuine. “Let me just leave Scorpion at home and we can go find your boy.”

Eskel led her through the lively village, though perhaps a town really would be the more appropriate title, church or no church. Men and women or all colors and dress bustled about, and she really did mean _all_ colors. There was one girl with a flower basket that had green hair! When she noticed Lisa staring she waved at her. A bit shamefaced, Lisa waved back.

“That’s Elena, the local florist,” Eskel told her, “I would have thought you’d be used to non-human folk, what with a half-vampire child.”

“Well I’ve mostly just met other vampires,” Lisa admitted, “And even then I’ve not actually spoken to many of them at length.”

“Fair, they’re one of the more antisocial monsters,” Eskel nodded as they were approaching the stables, “And speaking of antisocial monsters… Geralt! Come take Scorpion for me, I have to go speak with Lord Belmont!”

A grizzled old man with snow white hair and similarly inhuman eyes came out of the house at Eskel’s call, looking somewhere in between annoyed and fond.

“The job went well?” he asked Eskel as he took the horse’s reins.

“Yep, barely a scratch on me. And tell Papa Vesemir to save some dinner for me.”

“Already have,” Geralt, who didn’t actually seem that old up close, shot Lisa a curious look, “And you are?”

“Lisa of Lupu,” she introduced herself, “Eskel is just taking me to Lord Belmont to collect my son.”

“Hmm,” Geralt nodded and took Scorpion away.

“I see what you mean,” Lisa commented lightly, much to Eskel’s amusement.

“Don’t mind him too much, he always gets like that when Yen and Ciri haven’t come to visit for too long. Come on, the mansion’s this way.”

They continued onward through the town, and with every further step they took, Lord Belmont rose in Lisa’s esteem.

In over ten years she had spent with Vlad she had done a fair bit of travelling all over Europa and one of the many things she had learned was that the best measure of a landowner’s character was the state of his tenants and serfs. She had yet to meet a Lord of decent moral standing that let his subjects starve while he rolled in luxury.

The people she saw were varied and sometimes odd, but not a single one of them seemed destitute or downtrodden. The houses and various other buildings they passed were all well-kept, and there was even a school built from the skeleton of what must have once been a grand church. Various shops lined the street, brightly colored signs above their windows, the younger village children running around freely, occasionally admonished by the adults, even if the child in question had horns.

It was clear to anyone looking that this was a good place. Odd, but good.

“So how did you manage to lose the kid anyway?” Eskel asked abruptly, “Lambert said Lord Belmont found him wandering the Hoia Forest. That place is crawling with lower monsters, and not a single one of them is friendly. Old Woman Liya nearly got eaten when she went herb picking in there, which is actually lucky since Lord Belmont went to sort it out before he returned with the kid.”

“My husband has a transmission mirror,” Lisa explained, ignoring the fissure of unease that went up her spine. Adrian was fine, she knew he was, had seen it for herself. Whatever happened in the forest had not harmed him. “Adrian had seen him using it before so our best guess is that he went to play with it unsupervised.”

Eskel whistled lowly. “And actual transmission mirror? Damn, your husband must be real damn rich. Is he a Lord of something too?”

“He’s a Count, yes,” Lisa laughed. She was relatively sure a ‘Count’ was several titles below what Vlad actually was, but it was nevertheless his official title. She’s later learned that was because Castlevania was officially considered a county. _How_ , she had no idea, but it never failed to make her laugh, much to Vlad’s indignation.

“I think Lord Belmont technically is as well, though I’m not certain,” Eskel shrugged, “Or at least he used to be, not sure what he is now that the Church had been in possession of his lands for so long. I don’t even know who Lord Belmont pays his tributes to, or even if he does at all,” Eskel snorted, “I wouldn’t be surprised if whoever he did owe tributes is too afraid to ask anything of him.”

“He certainly has a frightening reputation,” Lisa agreed.

“You heard of him before?”

“Well I am married to a vampire,” Lisa reminded him. Eskel barked out a laugh before he abruptly sobered his expression. He looked away from her, scratching idly at his scars.

“Fair enough. But you really don’t need to be worried about your kid,” he assured her, “I know Lord Belmont probably scared every vampire in Europa shitless when he defeated that vampire queenie, but he wouldn’t lay a finger on a child, human or otherwise. He really is a good man, me and my brothers sure wouldn’t be here if he wasn’t.”

“If it’s not terribly rude of me to ask...” Lisa hesitated.

“We’re Witchers,” Eskel answered easily, “Overpowered monster hunters, basically. Probably the last ones, too. They stopped making us over two centuries ago.”

“I’m sorry, but I’ve never heard of Witchers,” Lisa told him. She’d heard of witches, but according to Eskel it sounded like those two weren’t related.

“I’m not surprised. We’re not exactly, er, _local,_ if you know what I mean,” Eskel made an odd circular gesture with his hand, but it meant little to Lisa, “After we left the Old World, we spent a lot of time travelling around before we decided to settle here and live out our twilight years in peace. Geralt’s wife and kid are still out there traipsing around the world but we finally got to the point where we are actually considered old men, and it did us a load of good to settle in one place. Papa Vesemir might complain but he really does love being the village teacher,” Eskel smiled, and it looked soft despite his scars, “We owe Lord Belmont a great deal.”

“I see,” Lisa smiled back, hoping Vlad was actually listening to this, “Thank you for easing my worries.”

“No problem,” Eskel’s grin turned mischievous, “Though, if Lord Belmont asks if you know what we are, you have no idea, okay? He’s been trying to figure it out for years and it’s driving him batty. It’s really entertaining to watch.”

“That’s not very kind of you,” Lisa said but she couldn’t stop grinning long enough to make it sound serious.

“Nope,” Eskel agreed merrily, completely unrepentant, “We’re here.”

They stopped in front of a mansion, relatively small and simple compared to what Lisa had been expecting. Then again, her primary standard of comparison was Castlevania, so she really didn’t have regular standards for noble residences.

The door was opened by a tall, well dressed servant who by all appearances looked human, but a near atavistic instinct in the back of Lisa’s mind positively screamed at the sight of him. He was most definitely a creature of the night of some kind.

“Sir Eskel,” he greeted her escort with a mild smile, “I trust you have returned in good health. And you’ve brought a guest.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Eskel waved a nonchalant hand, “Tell our Lord to meet me in his study. And this is Lisa of Lupu, the vampire boy’s mom. She came to take him off Lord Belmont’s hands.”

“I see,” the placid smile never left the servant’s lips as he let them in, “Sir Eskel, you know where Lord Belmont’s study is, I shall send for him shortly. Madam Lisa of Lupu, please follow me.”

Eskel rolled his eyes before coming inside, and Lisa followed. The servant, likely a steward, sent a maid to fetch Lord Belmont and his wife, which left them alone in the hall for a moment.

“Well,” his smile turned into a smirk, “I had my doubts about our young guest’s heritage, but you have certainly confirmed it, _Lisa Tepes.”_

The man knew who she was, and who she was to Dracula. Lisa carefully kept her composure.

“Will that be a problem?” she asked neutrally.

“Oh, not with me, and likely not at all,” the smirk returned to a pleasant smile, “Lord Belmont is generous, but somewhat naive. There are many people here whose true nature is a mystery to him, but he does not pry into our affairs so long as we keep his laws,” his eyes turned shrewd, “And it suits us just fine. So fine, in fact, we would like to keep it that way. You are a human who has passed Lady Sypha’s wards, so I trust you came here with no ill intentions, but I know what that amulet around your neck is, and who is watching us right now.”

Lisa froze. She looked the steward over, but for the life of her she could not collect her wits enough to think of what he might be.

“What are you really saying?” she asked.

“Collect your son and leave,” he said, his mild smile not slipping for a second, “Lord Belmont does not know who he truly is. Keep it that way. This land is a sanctuary to many creatures like us, the kind of which many have not dared to even hope for. Your husband would do naught but disrupt this peace we enjoy, and if he does, know that it will end very poorly for him.” 

Lisa stood rooted to the spot as the smile turned sharper, and the steward’s eyes glowed a distinctly demonic sheen.

“Dracula may rule the night,” he said with a chilling undertone, “But Lord Belmont is powerful, and enjoys the loyalty of powerful creatures as well. Should it come to a conflict, we will work to preserve the life we’ve made here. It would do him well to remember that.”

“Sebastian,” the maid called as she came back, “Lord Belmont said to wait in the parlor, and sent for the good wine. He and Lady Sypha will be with you shortly.”

“Thank you, Maria,” the steward abruptly turned pleasant again, “You may select the wine yourself, but make sure it’s either a vintage from ‘76 or ‘79. I’ll escort Madam Lisa.”

Lisa found herself politely but firmly escorted to a surprisingly comfortable seat in the sunroom. The maid quickly returned with a wine bottle and three silver goblets on a tray, poured the wine into one and presented it to Lisa.

“Thank you,” Lisa smiled and cautiously took a sip. It really was good wine, even compared to what she was used to drinking in the Castle. The maid bowed and left the tray on the small table before leaving.

Alone, Lisa swirled the wine in her cup and contemplated all she had learned so far. It was surprising to see so many different creatures not only serving a human lord, but being genuinely loyal to him. She had seen how Vlad treated his subjects and she did not think he was a bad ruler himself, so her curiosity at just what kind of man Lord Belmont was, that he so effortlessly drew humans and monsters alike to him, went up several notches. It could be a simple matter of power, yes, but she had trouble believing any human, no matter how well armed, would be a match for Vlad. 

But Vlad had willingly chosen a life of seclusion, and no matter how much she loved him she was not blind to the gap in his social graces. Even without meeting him she could tell Lord Belmont was involved with the running of his estate, and was known and liked by the villagers themselves. Even those he knew weren’t human but didn’t know the true nature of, he didn’t discriminate against. Eskel and Sebastian implied he was kind and fair, and she had seen he was good-humored and charismatic. It could make all the difference.

She really, _really_ hoped this visit went well. There was indeed danger here, but not from the front Vlad had expected and prepared for.

“Hello,” a faintly familiar, accented voice greeted her, followed by the lady of the manor herself, wearing a dress that reminded Lisa strongly of Speaker robes. She gave Lisa a polite smile as she introduced herself. “I am Sypha Belmont, formerly of House Belnades, the lady of these lands.”

“I am Lisa of Lupu,” Lisa stood up and curtsied properly, even though they were technically of the same rank, but Lisa was banking on them not knowing that, “Adrian’s mother. I hope my son hasn’t imposed on you.”

“Not at all,” Lady Belmont smiled a bit more warmly, “He’s been a delight to have.”

“Well that’s a relief. I know he can be a bit… rowdy, but I’m glad he’s behaved himself in polite company.”

Lady Belmont’s lips twitched like Lisa had said something funny, which told Lisa all she needed to know.

“He did not behave himself, did he?” she asked with some resignation.

Lady Belmont finally relaxed enough to let out a little musical laugh. “Oh, I know that tone well. But you truly don’t need to worry, Mrs.- Ah.”

“Just Lisa is fine,” she assured Lady Belmont. Introducing herself as _Mrs. Impaler_ would probably not go over well here, even if they knew she’d taken her husband’s name. Maybe especially then.

“Lisa, then,” Lady Belmont smiled, this time more genuinely, “And you truly don’t need to worry, I have three of those myself. We simply unleashed them all into the garden and let them tire themselves out, then just put them all down for a nap.”

“Clever tactic,” Lisa said. Lady Belmont went to sit on the couch opposite Lisa, carefully maneuvering her skirts around her pregnant belly, which she took as a cue to sit as well. Lisa eyed her critically over her wine, the doctor in her rearing its head. Thankfully for her nerves, the Lady made a face at the goblet and asked a servant to bring water.

“You’ve come earlier than we expected,” Lady Belmont commented, “And, please take no offence, we weren’t entirely sure if the meeting would go peacefully.”

“Well, since you’ve been honest with me, I suppose I should admit my husband was certainly… _unsettled_ when he saw our son was missing. I did manage to talk him down and convince him to try the diplomatic solution first, despite the tenuous history between his kind and your family.”

“Mmh,” the Lady pursed her lips, “That’s one way of putting it. I _am_ aware of our reputation amongst vampire circles, and I do admit it’s warranted for the most part. But the truth comes out of the mouths of children, and all Adrian has said about you so far led us to believe neither of you would have anything to fear from us. The Belmonts only hunt the creatures that would senselessly hurt others, be they human or otherwise.”

“That is a relief,” Lisa gave her a grateful nod, “I wasn’t sure what to expect when I came here, but I’ve seen your lovely town and Eskel couldn’t stop singing your praises as he led me here. I got the impression you are good people, but it is good to see it for myself as well.”

“High praise indeed,” Lady Belmont smiled, and Lisa got the feeling this conversation had taken a weight off her shoulders. She wondered if they’d been expecting some kind of retribution for, technically, kidnapping a child. Vlad had certainly seen it that way, and yet even knowing how it would look they took Adrian home because it was still better than abandoning him in a haunted forest.

Idly, Lisa wondered if she could convince Vlad to let Adrian visit them again. He needed friends, and the children of these people were likely the kind of friends Lisa would wholeheartedly approve of.

Lady Belmont hissed lightly and rubbed the side of her belly. “Sorry, Juste’s kicking again. He’s been really active lately.”

“That’s good, it means he will be strong and healthy,” Lisa assured her, “If it’s not terribly rude of me to ask, how far along are you?” 

“Seven months now, not that you’d know it looking at me,” Lady Belmont answered easily, “You should have seen me when I was carrying Simon. The midwife thought I was carrying twins up until I actually gave birth, I was so big.”

“Did everything go well?” Lisa asked automatically, the words already out of her mouth before she remembered that Lady Belmont wasn’t one of her patients. “I’m sorry, it’s just that-”

“Adrian did say you were a doctor,” Lady Belmont didn’t seem offended, thankfully. “It went as well as can be expected with a baby that big. Which is to say, he didn’t break anything on the way out,” Lady Belmont grimaced slightly at the painful memory, “I was unable to walk for a couple weeks, which was definitely not fun. But as you can see,” she gestured to her belly, “I have learned absolutely nothing.”

“I suppose that _is_ the best way to go about these things,” Lisa laughed, “I’m certainly not forgetting Adrian’s birth anytime soon. Vlad, my husband, helped deliver him in between me screaming and threatening to stake him. Definitely not my finest moment.”

“The first is always the hardest,” Lady Belmont nodded sagely, “Christopher, my eldest, was a big baby as well, and while everything went as well as possible it took him twenty hours until he decided to come out. I was ready to do certain irreparable damage to Trevor by then, too.”

“And I am both in awe and incredibly thankful that you didn’t,” Lord Belmont said as he joined them, carrying a sleeping Adrian in his arms. Eskel followed a few steps behind him looking distinctly horrified. Both Lisa and Lady Belmont laughed at the look on his face.

“Ah, hunters,” Lady Belmont rolled her eyes when she was done, “They could be covered in demon guts and be fine but the moment you mention childbirth they’re ready to faint.”

“In my defense, I usually have to rip my way out of a monster’s guts, not the other way around,” Eskel shuddered, “The fact that women can go through it multiple times and _live_ is both awe inspiring and makes me terrified out of my wits.”

“What he said,” Lord Belmont nodded in Eskel’s direction, “Run while you can, man, it will only get worse from here.”

Eskel didn’t need to be told twice. He hastily bowed to his Lord and Lady and then legged it out of there.

“Ah, right, I’m Trevor Belmont, of House Belmont, the lord of these lands,” he smiled a bit sheepishly at Lisa, “Sorry for eavesdropping, I had to make a detour to untangle this one from the pile. Which was not an easy task, let me tell you.”

“He _is_ a heavy sleeper,” Lisa smiled as he came closer, and took a moment to observe him in person for the first time. He seemed to be her age, or maybe a bit older, and even if she hadn’t seen them herself Lisa would have known he had children of his own from the ease with which he held Adrian. And though he’d only met this man earlier today, her son slept as peacefully as if he was in bed in between his parents.

This really was a dangerous power Lord Belmont wielded, she realized. For here was a famed vampire hunter standing before her with her sleeping half-vampire son in his arms, and Lisa could feel no apprehension or worry watching them. He was a strange mix of roguish charm and warm smiles that were horribly disarming, and it really was a good thing Lord Belmont was a good man.

No wonder Vlad was so afraid. That smile could have effortlessly hidden a lot of evil. 

But it didn’t, as she had seen on multiple occasions. When Lisa got up and held out her arms Lord Belmont didn’t even blink before he tried to hand Adrian to her.

Keyword being _tried._ It seemed Adrian did not want to let go of his sweet-smelling carrier, and demonstrated as such by holding on tighter and burrowing his face into Lord Belmont’s collar.

“Hey, Fangs, come on,” Lord Belmont rubbed Adrian’s back in an effort to wake him up, “I know I’m really comfortable, but your mom is here and you’re going to hurt her feelings.”

“M’thr?” Adrian murmured, the familiar word rousing him a bit. He peeked open a bleary eye and looked around. Then he spotted Lisa.

“Mother!” he literally zoomed out of Lord Belmont’s arms and into Lisa’s in a blur of red light, leaving her stumbling to compensate for the change in weight distribution and Lord Belmont scrambling to catch and stabilize her.

“Mother!” Adrian crowed in delight, his smile so wide it was a miracle he didn’t pull a muscle, “I went on an _adventure!”_

“I can see that,” Lisa laughed and arranged him on her hip so she could sit down, “I take it you had fun?”

“I saw a Leshi!” Adrian threw his arms out, “It was HUUUUGE!”

Oh, Lisa knew what a Leshi was, and just how big and _carnivorous_ they were. It must have shown on her face because Lord Belmont hurried to reassure her.

“It’s alright, I got to it before it got to him,” he told her with a wry grin, “Adrian, on the other hand, scared the life out of me when he appeared out of nowhere and demanded to be picked up.”

Lisa’s eyebrows shot up to her hairline. She turned to Adrian with a questioning look.

“I introduced myself first!” Adrian hurried to defend himself. “I asked for his name and I was polite!”

“That’s… not the problem here,” Lisa told him, trying to imagine how that meeting went. Oh God, if Vlad was listening to them he was probably not going to let Adrian out of his room, much less the castle, until he was thirty. “Adrian, you do not simply walk up to strangers in the middle of the woods and ask to be picked up!”

“Why not?” Adrian asked innocently, “He was nice, and he smelled amazing.”

Lady Belmont dropped her face into her hands while Lord Belmont fought to keep from laughing out loud next to her. Lisa had a feeling there was an inside joke in there somewhere, but presently, she had bigger problems. 

“I think this is a conversation your father should be privy to,” Lisa just sighed. She had a feeling it would be a _long_ conversation. “As much as I would like to continue this visit, we should get home sometime soon. Preferably before your father defies the laws of his own biology and his hair turns grey from stress.”

“Fair point,” Lady Belmont signaled for a servant, “We had Adrian’s clothes washed, I hope you don’t mind. They’re probably still a bit damp, so we can give you some pants for the road.”

Adrian was indeed wearing just a nightshirt that was a bit too big on him. Not a very appropriate attire for the road, though that certainly didn’t stop him before. “I appreciate it, thank you.”

“No need, we certainly have enough of them,” Lord Belmont said, “Elena’s flower is on the garden windowsill, if you want to take it with you.”

“I do, I do!”

“Pants first, young man,” Lisa held him before he could squirm off her lap. The servant from before, Maria, brought her a pair of pants, smallclothes, socks, Adrian’s boots and a red cape with a hood. Lisa managed to wrangle him into everything with minimal pouting, which she counted as a success.

“Excuse me,” an unfamiliar female voice drew her attention, “This is for you.”

Lisa turned to the woman behind her and immediately felt shivers down her spine. Another creature then, possibly fae, judging by the gardening gloves in the pocket of her apron. With blonde hair and an eerily blank, almost porcelain face, she handed Lisa a basket with Adrian’s clothes and a single potted golden lily.

“Ah, thank you,” Lisa accepted the basket with a bemused smile. The gardener nodded and turned away, back to her duties, revealing knee-length hair only loosely tied with a bow near the end.

Definitely some kind of magical creature, if she could work in a garden with her hair practically loose like that.

“Mother,” Adrian tugged on her sleeve, “If we’re going home, can I say goodbye to Sonia and Chris?”

“Oh, are those your friends?” Lisa asked. Adrian nodded just as Lord Belmont waved his hand in acquiescence. “Sure, go ahead.”

Adrian hopped down from the seat and disappeared somewhere upstairs. Lisa turned to Lord Belmont.

“Did he really just come up to you and ask to be picked up?” she asked.

“Demanded, more like it,” Lord Belmont laughed, “And then shoved his nose into my collar and complimented my scent.”

“I apologize,” Lisa grimaced, “He hasn’t exactly met many other humans, and my husband and I never got around to discussing proper etiquette beyond asking before biting.”

“To be fair, other than that, he was surprisingly polite about it,” Lord Belmont shrugged, unconcerned, “I mean, yeah, you should probably warn him that not every stranger he meets is going to be so chill about it, but you don’t need to apologize about it. Hell, I should be the one apologizing to you! I kinda’ kidnapped your kid here.”

“Lord Belmont, you saved my son from a Leshi and took care of him before we even realized he’s not in his bed,” Lisa pointed out, “As I’ve said to Lady Belmont, I am very thankful for your care and hospitality.”

“It was no trouble,” Lord Belmont said, “And the kids had fun playing with someone who can keep up with all of them.”

“That they did,” Lady Belmont reappeared with a smile a porcelain pot in her hands, which she handed to Lisa, “And before you leave, I’d like you to have this. Adrian said he is still sensitive to the sun, so we put on some sun cream on him before letting him loose in the garden. It worked rather well, so I thought you could use some.”

Lisa opened removed the lid from the cream pot to look at the strangely opaque, white, scentless cream. “What is it, exactly?”

“It’s normal cream, made a little thinner with white powdered zinc added,” Lady Belmont told her, “If you rub it onto your skin it protects against sunburn.”

“Oh, clever,” Lisa put the lid back and put the pot in the basket, “Thank you very much for this.”

“I also wrote down a recipe, if you’d like to make it yourself,” she handed Lisa a folded piece of parchment, which she took with clear surprise on her face.

“Oh, thank you. But, pardon me if I’m being rude, I thought you were a Speaker.”

“I am,” Lady Belmont said easily, “But I’ve learned to adapt. Some traditions can be broken in the pursuit of helping people. And it was inevitable, being with this disaster of a man, that at least _some_ Speaker rules were going to be broken and shattered in the dust.”

“Happy to help,” Lord Belmont grinned at her fondly. Lady Belmont rolled her eyes, but she was smiling too.

Lisa really hoped Vlad was listening to this. It would go a long way in helping with her plans.

“Mother,” Adrian came down the stairs, accompanied by three children in their nightshirts. “I’m ready to go.”

“Mommy, Daddy, can Adrian come visit again?” the little girl, who must have been Sonia, asked hopefully. 

“Fine by us,” Lady Belmont said easily, “Trevor already gave you Permission of Entrance, so the wards should not bother you. You are also welcome, Lisa.”

Lisa noticed she implicitly didn’t include Vlad into that invitation, but that could be discussed later. Adrian was giving her that same hopeful look, made even more effective by three additional faces making that same expression behind him.

She _really_ hoped Vlad was watching this.

“I think it’s a wonderful idea,” Lisa told him, “But you know your father has to agree as well. You’ll have to ask him when we get home.”

Adrian decided to take it as a solid ‘maybe’, judging by his expression. He turned around to hug Sonia, do a warrior’s handshake with Chris and then ruffled the youngest boy’s hair, to his outrage. He skipped over to Lisa’s side before retaliation could be dished out and grinned cheekily.

“Bye, Trevor. Bye, Sypha,” he waved to Lord and Lady Belmont, who waved back with amused smiles.

“Bye, Fangs,” Lord Belmont grinned, “Maybe we’ll even see you again soon.”

“I certainly hope so,” Lisa took Adrian’s hand, “But goodbye for now.”

As Lisa led Adrian to the door, where they were once again greeted by the mildly smiling steward. Adrian’s hand tightened around hers as they approached.

“Parting gifts for our esteemed guests,” he said as he put a wine bottle and a parcel wrapped in waxed paper into her basket. “I trust you’ve had a pleasant stay.”

“Oh, we have,” Lisa ignored how every hair on her head was standing on its end and looked the steward straight into his red eyes with an equally pleasant smile, “And the two of us are delighted to have been invited to visit again.”

The steward’s expression slipped into surprise for a moment, then quickly morphed into a shrewd look. Lisa felt Adrian take a step behind her but stubbornly held eye contact with the man. He was tall and intimidating without even trying, but Lisa was married to Vlad Bloody Tepes. She would be damned before she let herself be scared off by some territorial arse, and she was willing to show it.

The steward must have gotten the message, both the obvious and the implied one, and he looked almost amused for a moment. He opened the door with a proper bow, his bland smile back on his face. “I am glad to head that, Lady Tepes. I hope your next visit goes just as well as this one.”

“I hope so as well,” Lisa said, the underlying message not lost on her, either. She wondered if it was a veiled threat or merely a reminder of his earlier warning. Nevertheless, she tugged Adrian along at a steady pace, ignoring his eyes drilling holes in her back. 

“Mother, what was he?” Adrian asked once they were out of earshot.

“I don’t know,” Lisa admitted. “What did he smell like, that you’re so worried?”

“Like…,” Adrian’s nose scrunched in thought, “Like that thing Isaac made once, but darker. Darker like Father’s friend in the black cloak.”

 _Ah._ Lisa could take a scientific guess just what kind of creature carried a scent similar to both demon and Death, and none of them brought to mind the image of a polite and mild-mannered servant. She thought of the green-haired flower girl, the child with horns, the last of the Witchers, the fae woman and the odd Speaker magician, all living under the rule of a hunter in apparent peace. It was a mystery.

Oh yes, she definitely needed to return here, her curiosity would allow for nothing else. Idly, she wondered if Lord Belmont was accepting new tenants, and if he perhaps needed a doctor. The situation in Targoviste was getting more unstable by the day, it wouldn’t hurt to have a backup plan.

And Adrian needed friends, anyway. What better place to get them than here?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHA! This chapter we get not one, but TWO extra Easter egg characters, one easier to spot than the other. Hats off to anyone who can spot the other one, I was pretty vague.
> 
> Also, for those of you who are also in the Witcher fandom (SPOILERS TO THOSE THAT AREN'T YET): Witchers coming to Castlevania universe is entirely canonically possible! Sapkowski himself said Ciri can travel to other worlds, and with the Infinite Corridor from Season three, if you assume those two are fundamentally the same thing, this is entirely possible!!! Also, I came to this realisation while under the influence of anesthesia, so if I got it wrong, I claim artistic license.


	6. Taka

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit short but eh. I'll be gone for the weekend so updates will slow down from the breakneck pace I've been keeping. Depending on how many POVs I want to cycle through, there are in between one and three chapters of this left.

“ _Are they gone?”_ Sumi whispered in his ear, the one he didn’t have pressed to the door.

“ _Yeah, Sebastian just let them out_ ,” Taka told her, “ _They spoke a bit, but I couldn’t hear what. Didn’t seem so good._ ”

That was putting it mildly. Sebastian had a Shogi face that revealed exactly _nothing_ on a bad day, and whatever that Lisa woman said to him made him actually show how surprised he was. Taka wasn’t sure if it was a good or a bad sign, but he wasn’t dropping his guard in either case. 

When he heard the door click shut he quickly scrambled up and towards the kitchen, Sumi taking his cue and following. No sooner had they entered the kitchen proper when Antoneta spotted them.

“You two done skulking about like spooked cats?” she asked them with a raised eyebrow, “If ya are, you clean the hearth, and you help me with the dishes. Get to it.”

Knowing better than to disobey the house chef, Sumi quickly put on another apron over her dress and rolled up her sleeves while Taka went to collect the ashes of the dinner fire. 

The easy, familiar tasks went a long way to putting them at ease. Neither of them did well being idle, after a life spent as slaves in Cho’s castle, and frequently found themselves doing jobs around the house and the estate that weren’t actually part of their job descriptions, even before they were hired as servants. It quickly made them Antoneta’s favorites, which they still weren’t sure was a good or a bad thing. 

Still, keeping busy kept them from thinking too hard about their visitors, and all the problems they’d unintentionally brought with them.

Taka sighed as he carried a bucket of ash towards the back garden. He liked the life they’d made here, like their new Lord and Lady, and he even liked the other servants and tenants, for all that some of them were also monsters. Like the pretty, blonde gardener with a strange name.

“Hey, Elias?” Taka called as he walked through the labyrinth of plants and vegetables, some familiar and some exotic, looking for the woman that grew them. “Elias?”

“Yes?” Taka almost jumped when she appeared right behind him, but at this point he was almost used to it. With her long hair almost loose and her dress far too billowy, she didn’t look much like a proper gardener, save the dirty gardening gloves and the habitually smudged apron, but Taka had seen her and Elena grow even the most exotic plants in the sprawling Belmont gardens.

Whatever manner of creature she was, Sumi and Taka had long ago concluded she was one of the good monsters. Lord Trevor would not have allowed her to stay so close and so long otherwise. 

“Ashes from the fire,” Taka handed her the bucket with a polite smile, “Anything I should take to the kitchen?”

Elias didn’t say anything, just pointed a finger towards the barely visible gardening shed and turned away. Taka took care not to thread on any seedlings as he worked his way towards the indicated location. Elias might have been one of the good monsters, but much like with Antoneta, he did not wish to find out what would happen if he ruined any part of her garden.

Near the shed he found two baskets waiting for him, one filled with various vegetables, already washed, and the other almost overflowing with persimmons, much to his delight.

Even though they were in Northern Transylvania, it mattered little with a gardener the likes of Elias. Lady Sypha’s extended family travelled all over the world, and every winter at least one Speaker caravan came to visit, always bringing gifts of seeds, pottery, games, cloth and much more. There was probably more variety of all of those in the Belmont lands than the entire rest of Europa. Elias was always given whatever seeds and cultivars the Speakers brought, and she never failed to make them grow. Three years ago, one of those gifts was a tiny persimmons branch. It was a little odd to see them ripe in the middle of summer, but it was probably due to the location being much different than their native soil.

Taka stuffed two of them into his pockets, then hefted both baskets under his arms and made his way back to the kitchen. Sumi had just finished sculling when he returned, and her face predictably lit up when she spotted Taka’s baskets.

“ _Kaki? They’re ripe?”_ she automatically switched back to Japanese with delight, but before she could snatch one Antoneta smacked her hand away.

“Work first, desserts later,” she admonished them, “And you’ve got lots to do by the looks of it.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Taka deposited the baskets on the floor by the table and got a cutting board and a cleaver out. As Antoneta went to retrieve the pickling jug from the basement, Taka took one of the persimmons from his pocket and gave it to Sumi with a smirk.

“I was saving these for later, but might as well.”

“Thanks,” Sumi bit into it with relish, “ _Kami,_ I have missed these.”

“I know, right?” Taka grinned, “One of the few good things from back home.”

“ _This_ is our home,” Sumi shot him a look, “That place was nothing but a prison, no matter how familiar.”

It was an old argument, and not one Taka particularly wished to revisit. So he turned away and started chopping the radishes into thin slices and ribbons. Eventually, Sumi got out her own knife and started peeling the persimmons, careful to leave the stem intact. She would then string them together and hang them over a window to dry, so nothing but chewy sweetness remained.

Taka chopped and sliced and diced, mind elsewhere. But the silence between them seemed oppressive in a way it hadn’t been in years, and he figured it was best to get to the crux of the problem right away instead of letting it fester. 

“ _Do you really think they will come back?_ ” he asked Sumi in Japanese. He didn’t need to clarify who he meant.

 _“Probably,_ ” Sumi said, not looking up from her task, “ _We better be prepared.”_

“ _Prepared for what, though?”_ Taka wondered, “ _They wouldn’t be the first strange persons to come here. Lord Trevor had even accepted tenants weirder than them. Some more dangerous._ ”

“ _But none of the others actually feed on humans,_ ” Sumi reminded him. “ _They are dangerous because of their magic, or their abilities, not their appetite. But Lord Trevor is too generous, and has grown too trusting. They might not come wanting to build a house here, but they will see what the Belmont family has built, and they will like it too much, and they will wish to stay. Like those hunters with the strange eyes. They did not come with the intent to stay, but they stayed anyway._ ”

The problem was, Taka could all too easily see that happening. Prospective tenants, be they human or monster, first had to be interviewed by either Lord Trevor or Lady Sypha. But Lord Trevor had brought the boy himself, and his own children had liked him. His mother, Lisa, said she was a doctor, and Taka had already heard talk about hiring one for the village. By themselves, Taka would have been all for it.

But them moving here would mean they would bring the vampire with them.

“ _Maybe it’s not so bad,_ ” Taka tried meekly, “ _Mrs. Lisa called him her husband, and they have a baby together. We live surrounded by the proof that monsters could be good people. Maybe this one is good too._ ”

“ _Maybe,_ ” Sumi didn’t sound like she agreed, “ _But Cho had liked humans too. And you know what happened to her husbands._ ”

Yes, Taka did. He had almost become one of them himself. 

“ _Lord Trevor wouldn’t allow him to come then,_ ” Taka said with conviction, “ _He is a good man, and he watches over his people._ ”

“ _He is_ too _good_ ,” Sumi bit out, “ _Or did you forget that that he let_ us _stay here, even though we lied to him, tried to rob his ancestral shrine, and almost got him_ killed _?_ ”

Taka winced with guilt. It was back when they still had their hearts set on returning to Japan and killing Cho, had been convinced there was nothing more important than that. It wasn’t just about revenge, but because what else had all of their suffering been for?

Lord Trevor had been more than generous, and Lady Sypha had been kind to them. They’d agreed to let them stay and train them, but had been insistent that Sumi and Taka stay with them. That they’d barely managed on their own so far, and the journey back would not be any easier. And even if they killed Cho, what then? Did they plan to die in the attempt? Start a revolution against vampire tyranny? The Belmonts had been trying to do that for centuries, and had nearly been wiped out in the attempt because the danger had come from the direction they had not expected.

In short, they’d told Sumi and Taka the task they had set for themselves had been doomed from the start. And they’d known it, but they’d been too stubborn to admit it. 

They’d gone digging through the Belmont Hold, trying to find something, _anything,_ that would make their mission possible. But even though they could speak Wallachian, they hadn’t been able to read it yet, and had walked right past a warning message and unleashed a Hellhound that’s been sealed away in a warded chest. 

They would have probably died for their stupidity, if Lord Trevor had not come to their rescue. And he’d nearly paid for their lives with his own.

Taka had thought they would be publically executed for that, or at the very least banished. Worse, knowing that they would have absolutely deserved it, for doing such a thing to the only people who had actually, genuinely been good to them.

They’d stood before Lord Trevor, pale and exhausted and half his torso covered with bandages, prepared to die in shame for their actions.

Lord Trevor had just snorted. “Jesus Christ on a cross, stop looking at me like I’m going to beat you with a stick. We all learned our lessons here. Just don’t go snooping around down there without me or Sypha anymore.”

And… that was it.

Lady Sypha hadn’t forgiven them for nearly killing her husband so easily, but she hadn’t done anything to contradict him either. Sumi and Taka had thought she was merely biding her time, until their guard was down, to enact her revenge.

Instead, she had taken them aside and sat them down, then talked to them. For a long time, and at some points Taka thought he would have preferred if she _had_ just chosen to burn their faces off. He had a feeling it would have been less painful than her looking at them with such disappointment.

“If you really feel you must fulfill your mission, then I cannot stop you, and I certainly can’t keep you here,” Lady Sypha had told them, and despite themselves, they’d believed her, “I do know a thing or two about going on a hopeless mission, not expecting to return. But if you’re doing it because you don’t think you have any other options in life, I am _giving_ you an alternate option: stay here. Train with Trevor. Learn how to be more than just what you were born to be. You are still so young, I don’t think you even realize there is more to life than what you’ve been through. Let us teach you.”

And Sumi and Taka… Stayed. Stayed in these strange lands, halfway around the world away from the place they used to call home, at first not entirely sure that they weren’t actually dead and this was their afterlife. 

A very strange afterlife, maybe. But a good one. 

That was almost eight years ago. 

“ _No vampire with pure intentions would go anywhere near these lands,_ ” Sumi continued, interrupting Taka’s trip down the memory lane, “ _Their own Lord Dracula would not allow it, Cho said it herself. Do you remember what she said about the Belmont family, when we received the news that the white queen was slain?_ ”

Taka cast his mind back to that day, when Cho had received the summons and the news that had prompted them.

“ _That Dracula has history with the Belmont family, and none of it good,_ ” Taka said, “ _Also, something about how, if Dracula had played his cards right, the Belmonts would have been the most famous family of courtesans instead of the most infamous family of hunters_?”

“ _Yes, that too_ ,” Sumi rolled her eyes, “ _Trust you to remember the lewd details._ ”

Taka shrugged. 

“ _But my point stands: even Cho answers to Dracula, so this one must as well. If Dracula is allowing it, it can’t be for anything good._ ”

“ _But what if he doesn’t answer to Dracula?_ ” Taka mused, “ _There are defectors everywhere, even in the vampire courts. If he has a half-human son and a human wife, I can’t imagine his own lord is pleased with him, no matter how high his rank is. And what better place to hide them than here? Lord Trevor already likes them, and Lady Sypha’s magic is so powerful, I don’t think even someone as strong as the Lord of the Night could come in without permission_.”

“ _You are right about that_ ,” a familiar voice from the dark made them both jump, “ _The wards around the village are most impressive. Even Dracula was unable to force his way in, not directly_.”

“ _Ah, Sebastian!_ ” Sumi stammered, “ _What-?_ ”

“ _Even one such as myself, or one equal to my rank, would merely burn their wings on these wards,”_ the steward continued, darkly amused in a way that sent shivers down their spines, and _still_ speaking Japanese, “ _And that was before Lady Sypha allowed me to strengthen her runework. Even Lady Yennefer helped. No, you do not need to fear anyone breaking through these wards._ ”

“ _But?_ ” Sumi asked, catching on at the same time Taka did.

“ _But the threat of the enemy being invited over our doorstep still remains,_ ” Sebastian allowed himself the lightest of scowls, “ _A more pertinent threat than I had thought possible, especially so soon._ ”

“ _So what do we do about it?_ ” Sumi asked, always the more strategically minded one between them. 

“ _For now? Nothing,_ ” Sebastian’s scowl turned back into that mild smile he always wore, “ _After all, do not make an enemy of someone you can use later. Though,_ ” he tapped a finger against his chin in thought, “ _It will be curious to see which that person will turn out to be_.”

“ _So that’s it? We can’t really do anything?_ ” Sumi asked.

“ _Of course you can_ ,” Sebastian said reassuringly, “ _Lord Belmont has taught you plenty. As long as you are willing to defend this sanctuary, that is more than enough for now._ ”

“ _But you’re hoping it won’t be necessary,_ ” Taka’s eyes narrowed, realizing something, “ _You know who Adrian’s father is, don’t you? And you think he could actually be brought to our side?_ ”

“Hmm,” Sebastian was still tapping his chin, “ _A century ago, I would have thought it impossible. But then, I would have said the same thing about myself,_ ” his smile turned terrifyingly fond, “ _Humans have in them the infinite capacity for change, and sometimes it is so strong even creatures that had not changed in a millennia are taken by the tide._ ”

Taka abruptly remembered that, when Sebastian had first come to the mansion to serve under Lord Trevor, he had brought with him a ward. A boy of around fourteen who hadn’t aged a day since, had eyes the exact same shade as Sebastian, and talked like he was older than Sumi and Taka combined. He was also the one who processed Lord Trevor’s taxes, and more often than not, ended up scolding him about proper estate management like he had been doing it for infinitely longer than Lord Trevor.

Sebastian had never outright called him his fledgling, but Taka knew vampires were far from the only ones who made more of their kind by turning humans. 

He briefly wondered who that boy had been, before he made a deal with a demon.

“ _Oh, no need to look so worried,_ ” Sebastian pat them both lightly on their shoulders, “ _No matter which way those tides turn, these lands are ours. We will protect them._ ”

Sumi and Taka exchanged a look. Somehow, that really was reassuring. The Lord and Lady Belmont had already defeated one vampire horde pretty much on their own. This time, no matter who came for them, they would be ready. 

“ _Yes,_ ” Sumi smiled confidently, “ _We will._ ”

Sebastian nodded in satisfaction, then disappeared into the shadows to do something else moments before they heard footsteps approaching the kitchen. 

“Found it!” Antoneta crowed in triumph, carrying a pickling vessel through the door, “Can’t believe I managed to lose something this size, but I got it! You kids done yet? We need to have this fermented before the lady runs out of our current stores!”

“Almost,” Taka smiled, “We can start stacking them, though.”

“Good,” Antoneta wiped her wrinkled hands on her apron, then paused as she took a better look at Sumi and Taka, “Oi! I didn’t miss anything did I?”

“Of course not,” Sumi smiled innocently, “We’ve been here the whole time.”

Antoneta, the shrewd old woman that she was, eyed them suspiciously, but she obviously didn’t find anything amiss. In the end she threw her hands in the air with a mutter of ‘kids these days’.

Taka continued to chop radishes and carrots. Sumi continued peeling the persimmons.

For all intents and purposes, nothing did happen. Not until it had to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, there's no _new_ Easter egg characters here, but there's new hints on the one everyone missed. 
> 
> PLUS, lets make it a contest because I'm feeling mischievous. The first person who, upon the completion of this fic, can list all the non-Castlevania characters and their home fandom first, gets a ficlet from me, from any of the listed fandoms, of course. It's about time I figured out how the Gift function on AO3 worked anyway.


	7. Death

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hoo, BOI, I did not intend for this to get this existential, but I had nothing to do for three days but to ruminate on this and watch The Saga of Tanya the Evil, so. Fuck. 
> 
> Also, the keyboard I wrote this on is _FUCKIN CRAP_. I went over this twice to try and catch anything I spelt wrong, but my Beta is in Belgium being run ragged, so not only is this Un-betaed, the technology is against me as well. I beg forgiveness in advance.
> 
> WARNING: Brief mention of cannibalism. as a part of a sociobiological lesson about vampires, if that makes it better.

The life of Death is always busy. 

Since the dawn of creation, since the first cluster of cells gathered around and decided to become alive, Death had been busy. And ever since creatures had gained souls things had become more interesting, but the paperwork had also become significantly more complicated. Especially in case of humans, who died all the time, and not just of natural causes. Whether it is because of disease, famine or war, Death’s siblings and fellow riders never failed to make more work for their leader. 

The perils of being the eldest child, Death supposed. 

But tallying souls and passing judgements could and did get tedious after a while, for all that the concept of time was more of a suggestion in these parts. But even immortal personifications of endings and new beginnings needed a vacation occasionally. What was the point of creating reapers otherwise?

And when Death did schedule in a vacation, he always visited the same place first. 

“Hello, Mathias,” Death greeted his old friend, then did a double-take at the sight that greeted him. “Ah. Is this what they call ‘trouble in paradise’?”

Mathias, who had been sitting at his office desk, banging his head on its surface, let out a long groan. “Wonderful. Just what I need. Someone to mock my misery.”

“Misery? Has your lovely Lisa finally seen sense then?” Death teased. “You _will_ remind her I’m still single, won’t you?”

“Stop trying to steal my wife,” Mathias grumbled without much heat, “Besides, I should warn you: you have _competition_.”

“Oh?” That didn’t sound good. “And they haven’t been taken care of already?”

Mathias let out a long, even more miserable groan. Had Death had eyes in his skeletal sockets, he would have stared unblinkingly. As it was, he did it anyway, but the effect was lost on any potential observer.

“Mathias, if you want my help you need to use your words,” Death reminded him, “As I recall, the last time I omnisciently observed your thoughts, you didn’t speak to me for thirty years.”

“And as I recall, I also told you to stop calling me Mathias,” Mathias finally looked up so he could glare at Death, “I have been going by ‘Vlad’ for almost four centuries now, why is that so hard to grasp?”

“Because if you continue to do so, a human prince who was as fond of impaling his enemies as you are will take all the credit for your deeds in a few centuries,” Death told him plainly, “Remember the House of Drăculești?”

“The one I accidentally founded when I was pretending to be human to take revenge on that Dănești bastard?”

“Yes. He is descended from that line.”

“Wonderful,” Mathias rubbed his eyes, “Is that little stint going to come back to bite me in the arse _too?_ ”

“Not you personally, I don’t think,” Death contemplated the probabilities for an infinite second, “It’s not very likely in this reality.”

“But not impossible,” Mathias sighed.

“Nothing is ever impossible,” Death reminded him, “But I infer from your wording that you _do_ have problems with some other House?”

“ _Yes_ ,” Mathias said, voice dripping with disdain, “The Belmonts.”

“Oh?” Death was surprised. “What have they done this time?”

“Adrian got lost in the woods about a month ago,” Mathias told him, “A Belmont man found him and took him to his lands, but he had no idea Adrian was my son, so he wasn’t harmed. Lisa went to pick him up and fell for his charm. She’s been trying to convince me to let Adrian go back there, because he made friends with the Belmont’s brats.” Mathias sighed again. “Of all the descendants he had, it just had to be _this one_ to inherit Leon’s uncanny ability to make everyone _like him._ Even if it’s detrimental to their continued survival. I don’t know what kind of nefarious games they’re playing but I can’t _do_ anything about it because Lisa will skin me alive if I even try.”

 _There will be no more Belmonts after this,_ Death’s omniscience rang.

That was a problem.

Death stared. Tilted his head. Stayed quiet long enough that Mathias took his hand off his eyes to look at him. “You know something, don’t you?”

“You will really have to be more precise,” Death told him, “But I think I know what you mean.”

“What is it then?”

“Am I right in assuming you have not been keeping up with the lore of the last decade?”

“Not really,” Mathias admitted, “Why is it so important?”

“Hmm,” Death took a moment to consider how to approach the topic. Mathias had some trouble letting go of grudges long after the perpetrators of the crime had passed into less than a memory, after all. “So you have not heard the lore that has started to surround the Belmont family?”

“Only what Lisa has told me,” Mathias said, obviously getting impatient, “Would you get to the point? Assuming you do have one.”

“You have all the patience of a mortal man,” Death complained, “But come. Let me borrow your mirror, and I shall tell you a story that might change even your unswerving mind.”

Without waiting for a response, Death turned away towards the splintered mirror. The shards danced in the firelight and did not settle until Death felt Mathias come stand beside him.

“Like all good stories, ours begins ten years, three months and seven days ago,” Death spread his skeletal arms and the mirror assembled itself obediently, “It is on that day that a drunken, disgraced man heard gossip in a humble tavern, and the call of his honor became too loud to ignore.”

The mirror pulsed with power it did not usually have. It appeared to liquefy for a moment, it’s edges flowing like water from a stream that suddenly lost the anchor of gravity and was left floundering. 

It showed, blurry but getting clearer, Trevor Belmont fighting demons with the Vampire Killer. Then the last demon twitched and writhed and turned back into the form of Grant Danasty. 

It showed, flowing and swirling, Trevor Belmont killing a cyclops with nothing but an ordinary sword, a statue coming to life and becoming Sypha Belnades.

It showed, in fire and blood, the three unlikely heroes battling hordes of demons and armored vampires, constantly, endlessly, futilely, victoriously.

It showed, in pain and rage, Carmilla dying and Styria falling.

It showed, in hope and love, Trevor Belmont and Sypha Belnades standing before the ruins of the Belmont Castle. Grant Danasty stood before them, a Bible upside down in his hands, proclaiming them husband and wife by the not-so-holy power vested in him. 

“Trevor Belmont was born a nobleman, raised as a hunter, travelled as a beggar and settled as a Marquis,” Death said, his words flowing like poetry, “And make no mistake, he has learned his lessons from every walk of his life. And from every walk of life, he accepted the people who came to him. For he himself was scorned at his most righteous, proclaimed a servant of evil by the church he used to serve, so how would he know if the creature the Church was calling evil truly was so?”

“A Belmont, welcoming creatures of the night and shunning the church?” Mathias sounded uncomfortable, “I do have to admit, if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes I would have never believed you.”

“Something tells me you do not believe me regardless.” 

Mathis’ pointed ears twitched and then drooped. If Death had a mouth he would have been smiling. Alas. 

“Trevor Belmont has admitted that himself,” Death said, “I believe it was something about his relatives rolling in their graves?”

“They certainly are,” Mathias snorted, “It’s a bloody wonder I can’t hear them.”

“Regardless,” Death continued leisurely, “First came the humans, of course. Those Trevor Belmont already knew and welcomed. Then came one of the Rejected Fair Folk. And if he had married anyone other than the benevolent Sypha Belnades, perhaps the universe would have turned itself a full degree differently. Or perhaps not,” Death chuckled lowly, “Truly, I almost cannot wait for Erwin to be born and die. I even have the perfect cat prepared to gift him.”

Mathias gave him a baffled look, and Death made a noise as if clearing his throat. 

“First came the Rejected Fae, who had spent her life amongst humans, and thus deemed safe enough to continue doing so on the Belmont Lands,” Death waved his arm grandly, and the mirror showed a beautiful young woman with green hair tending to a resplendent garden. A moment later she was joined by another woman with long golden hair.

“Rumors spread amongst the Fair Folk, and one who is not quite fae became curious.” The image of the blonde woman wavered, for a moment depicting a skull with horns superimposed over their head. “He came from far away to observe humans as they were, where they were not afraid of him. He has yet to leave. And he is far from the only one.”

The mirror shimmered, glistened, burst into a tunnel of colors and revealed four men riddled with scars and two women brimming with magic together at a dinner table, playing an unusually rowdy game of Gwent. 

“Creatures not of this world came and found their skills matched in Trevor Belmont.” The mirror fogged, and showed Trevor Belmont swordfighting Geralt Formerly of Rivia in the forest, and fighting him to a draw. It showed Yennefer Formerly of Vengeberg in a glaring contest with Sypha Belnades. It showed them all around the campfire, Trevor Belmont cheerily inviting them to work for him. 

“As it turns out, the camaraderie of being a monster hunter was stronger than the one of being human,” Death told Mathias.

“They came through the Infinite Corridor,” Mathias mumbled in realization, “That’s what the one with the scars meant by ‘the Old World’.”

“That’s right,” Death nodded, “And they are far from the only otherworldly creatures to find their place in our tale.”

The mirror shimmered and changed.

“And the rumors spread far,” he said in the wake of Mathias’ pensive silence, “Creatures of the night, far and wide, heard of a place where monsters could live in peace. You know how much of their world, your own world, demands they fight for their rights to live, how merit is judged sometimes solely on power and strength.”

“I do,” Mathias growled, “You do not need to lecture me. I do what I can, but I have little influence beyond my own kind.”

“I am not lecturing you,” Death said mildly, “I am merely telling a story.”

Death waved a hand and the image turned into a creek, where a Rusalka and a Vodyanoi talked to a baffled looking Trevor Belmont and an adoring Sypha Belnades. Three fish-sized green children splashed and laughed with her.

“So came the others. A pair of river spirits hoping for a safe place to raise their children, away from hungry mouths of beasts and villagers with pitchforks, in return for a bountiful fishing season.” 

The image flickered and changed to a beautiful golden haired woman in white, with a young daughter. 

“A Vila, scorned by the Fair Folk for having a child with a human man, looking for a safe place to rest until she could be reunited with her beloved in France.” 

The mirror glowed brightly, and showed Trevor Belmont brushing a white mare, too pure to be a mere horse.

“A unicorn, who had seen all the stallions of her herd hunted for their horns, who decided she had nothing to lose by trying her luck. And so much more.

The mirror strained to contain all the knowledge Death was pouring into it, of all the lives of minor spirits and creatures who had found protection under the family that had once been the bane of their kind.

Mathias was silent.

“Of course, nothing is ever perfect,” Death sighed dramatically, “My sibling riders heard of them as well, and became curious about this unclaimed playground and decided to come themselves. As the second eldest, Famine decided to go first.”

The mirror showed Famine, wearing the skin of a dark skinned man, disguising himself as a tax collector and falsely collecting his supposed dues in the name of Lord Belmont, a much higher number than had been demanded before. The very next scene showed Trevor Belmont threatening him at swordpoint, and the villagers taking back their seized goods.

“Defeated, he ceded ground to Pestilence. Now Pestilence decided to try a cleverer approach.”

The mirror showed Pestilence disguising themselves as a white, sick rat. They climbed the edge of the well and threw themselves in. In short order, people began to get sick. But soon it showed Sypha Belnades in the town square, urging people to boil their water before drinking it, and shortly thereafter chanting over the well with a book of purification spells in her hand.

“In the end, even Pestilence failed, though they had perhaps come closer to success than Famine. Then, it was War’s turn to try.”

The mirror showed War, in the form of a flame haired woman, who disguised herself as a kindly, harmless old priest. Death chuckled.

“She did not get very far before she got defenestrated,” Death told Mathias conspiratorially, “Ah, but she swore me to not tell the others, so if they ask, you have heard nothing.”

“Not even I am stupid enough to incur the wrath of War herself,” Mathias told him solemnly, but there was a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

“Nonetheless, rumors of their failure spread as well,” Death did not smirk only because he physically couldn’t. He would have to do something about that at some point. “And I, of course, haven’t the foggiest idea who could have spread those rumors.”

Mathias raised a disbelieving eyebrow. Death ignored him.

“These rumors persisted through time and space. Eventually, they reached Hell. They reached Earl Raum.”

The mirror flickered and showed Raum wearing a human guise, in a steward’s uniform and organizing some papers with Sypha Belnades. Death could feel Mathias recoil behind him.

“Raum? He’s Raum?! Who the fuck was stupid enough to summon a Great Earl of Hell?!”

“Oh, just a fairly ignorant cult in the 19th century,” Death waved a dismissive hand, “It hasn’t happened yet.”

“Lisa was within breathing distance of him,” Mathias appeared to be having some trouble processing that, “And I didn’t even realize the danger she was in.”

“Now, now, Mathias, nothing happened,” Death reminded him, “And we still have a story to finish, preferably before we are caught.”

Mathias didn’t look all that much calmer, but at least he had stopped pacing.

“You see, on his last deal, Raum had decided to make a Fledgling.” A demon in the form of a teenage boy joined the pair in the mirror, adding his own contribution. “Unfortunately, you know the survival rate of Fledglings in Hell, especially those made by higher ranked demons.”

“The ordinary demons don’t like the aristocracy getting more powerful, so they kill their Fledglings before they reach full power,” Mathias said grimly, “And the Dukes like to snatch them from the lower aristocracy since, as former angels, they can’t make more demons on their own. Not that the Fledglings’ survival rate is any better in their hands. Half of them are eaten the moment they get a modicum of real power.”

“Indeed,” Death agreed, “Demons are possibly the only species even more cruel to their young than gods.”

Mathias made a noise of absolute disgust, “At least vampires have some respect for each other’s offspring. At the very least they do not rip them apart the moment they’re left unattended.”

“Ah, but that’s because, despite the long periods of isolation and hibernation that you are prone to, vampires are still fundamentally a social species,” Death said, his voice taking on the tone of a college professor, “You take spouses and consorts and thralls, and despite your occasionally cannibalistic tendencies, your very biology is wired to keep them alive for as long as possible, for exactly this reason. Demons, on the other hand, are solitary. They only have significant relationships with their young, and even that may not last once they become adults. And thus, the way you view and treat the young of the same species who are not your own is very different.”

“Do you have a point?” Mathias asked somewhat bitingly, “Or have you just gotten lost on one of your existential tangents?”

“You know, you used to appreciate my lectures,” Death would have pouted if he had lips. Mathias did not look impressed. Death thought, not for the first time, that he perhaps really ought to make himself a human body. A lot of expressions were impossible with merely a skull.

“Yes, yes,” Death muttered, “As you know, making a Fledgling is infinitely easier than keeping one alive, and that goes tenfold for demons. So Raum did what sensible beasts have been doing since they started having live young: he found himself a safe nest. And let me tell you, he called in a pretty favor to travel over three centuries back in time.”

Death could actually _hear_ Mathias’ eyebrows shooting up to his hairline. “A Great Earl of Hell decided that the safest place in existence to raise a Fledgling is on the lands of infamous monster hunters?”

“Indeed, and as it turns out, he wasn’t wrong,” Death said cheerily, “Remind me one day to show you his tenancy interview. It is one of the most amusing things I have ever seen, and that should really tell you everything you need to know.”

“Considering I know what your sense of humor is like, I’ll pass,” Mathias said dryly. 

“Suit yourself, your loss,” Death shrugged, then continued dramatically, “Of course, an uncontracted Great Demon with a Fledgling is a disaster in the making for my poor reapers. A dead body with no soul in sight generates a lot of paperwork, you know.”

“And the Belmont just let him?” Mathias sounded dubious.

“The kind of souls that nourish a demon the most are exactly the kind that make for the vilest of humans. The way Trevor Belmont saw it, Raum was doing exactly the same thing he did, only even more efficiently. The only stipulation was that Raum does his hunts far away from the Belmont lands.”

Mathias looked downright insulted at that. 

“But as I said, even a corrupt human needs to be processed properly, and without a soul to process it creates a lot of paperwork, but the contract of tenancy Raum signed with a human meant our hands were effectively tied. So one of my reapers was sent to tail him, keep an eye on him until they could find a loophole. As it turns out, it was decided to be unnecessary. The reaper who was sent decided he liked living in the Belmont lands, so he applied for a permanent transfer in return for filing the paperwork pertaining to Raum and his Fledgling. And in the daytime, he works as an undertaker.”

“Alright, enough!” Mathias roared and turned away from the mirror with a dramatic flap of his cape, “You’ve made your point!”

“Oh, have I?”

“This Belmont is different,” Mathias said, immediately demonstrating he had missed the point entirely, “Fine, say I believe that. But I have noticed that there were no vampires in that little menagerie you have displayed.”

“True,” Death nodded, “But that is largely their own choice. Vampires already have a Lord,” Death tried to give Mathias a pointed look, thought it fell flat a little, “Not to mention that there was no telling how a vampire would be received, either by Trevor Belmont, or by the other vampires in your court. Your rivalry is rather legendary, after all. And there is that bit about an army of vampires being slaughtered in the Battle of Styria, but nobody ever mentions that there were demons in that army as well, and that hasn’t stopped Raum.”

“So what?” Mathias asked irritably, “I should give into Lisa’s demands? Can you actually guarantee my wife will actually be safe there?”

“No,” Death was honest, “Nobody can, of course. But then again, neither can you. And if I have understood your wife correctly, it is not safety she seeks, not her own-”

The mirror shimmered and showed Lisa Tepes arguing with a Bishop after the Church service, another woman hovering uncertainly behind her.

“-and something more important than safety for her son.”

The mirror showed Adrian Tepes, playing in the grass with Sonia Belmont and Simon Belmont. Mathias’ claws drew trenches in the wood of his desk. 

“But that is still not the point I wanted you to see,” Death continued, “It is not just hunters who live here,” the mirror flashed in between a dozen different faces, only most of them human, “Demons, Fae, Reapers, Witchers, Sorceresses, Witches. Your wife has been trying to convince you to let them go back there, but she did not push as she sometimes does. Do you know why that is?”

“She’s afraid of something as well,” Mathias said, “But she didn’t tell me _what._ Is it the demon?”

“No,” Death shook his head, “But what he said. What his words represent. What the Belmont lands have become in the eyes of the supernatural creatures, she is aware how disastrous it could be to disrupt its balance. That is why she did not push you, even though she can. Because she understands something you very much _do not,_ ” the mirror glowed and showed the wall of the Belmont village, overlaid by the glowing runes of protection. The Wards of the Wall, glowing in the visible spectrum, “Even now, a new name has emerged. ‘The Sacred Sanctuary’.”

“The sacred sanctuary?” Mathias turned around to face him, “That’s a myth! A myth twisted and perverted by the church to serve their agenda and nothing more.”

“It is not. It was very much real in this universe. The original place that bore that name is gone, yes,” Death agreed, “The Garden of Eden, before the fall of man. Where the God’s chosen favorites were sheltered in a place of peace. Humans, monsters, beasts and animals alike living in harmony. Does that description sound familiar?”

Mathias growled like an angry dog. “Fine, it was real. But if you recall, it was eventually abandoned due to the greed of humanity,” Mathias said blithely, “Even if I didn’t know it existed before this moment, we know one thing for sure: it _failed_. It was either abandoned, or destroyed, or its inhabitants returned to their natural order. It didn’t even last that long. No matter what those cowards choose to call the Belmont lands, there is no point. It is doomed to fail, and it will not last.”

Mathias, the foolish boy, turned to leave, thinking he had won the discussion. But the doors of the office slammed shut, because Death was not done.

Mathias still did not _see._

“I am Death, Mathias,” he turned around to look at his old, but still very young friend, well aware of his eerie face, “I was there when it was created, and I was there when a fallen angel took the form of a snake and told Eve the knowledge of the world outside was a mere bite away. I was there when the wards were broken, and the first creature was slaughtered. I was there when the last green leaf turned dry and was smothered by the scorching sun, and I was there when the Garden itself was devoured by the surrounding desert.” 

Death turned to the mirror, struggling under his power, and forced it to show an abandoned place in the middle of the Kalahari Desert. The only thing that showed it was not a random patch of sand were the ruins of a wall. A wall, the base stones all that was left of it, and a small oasis in the middle of it. A sepulchral tomb.

“This is all that was left of the Garden of Eden,” Death said, “It did not last, perhaps. But it existed. And for its brief existence it was _beautiful,”_ Death’s voice quieted, deep in memories, “Tell me, Mathias, how much do you value the life of your wife?”

“Death,” Mathias went tense, “What are you-?”

“It is so brief,” Death continued, “If you do not turn her, she will die. I will collect her and send her wherever she wishes to go. But she will be gone from this world, that is one of the few certainties of existence. But for this brief moment in time, she is beautiful.”

The mirror trembled, flowed and glowed, and finally showed Lisa, sitting in a small cabin somewhere, a kind smile on her face, and the hand of a Forgemaster in her own. The Forgemaster, Hector, who had been used and abused, and did not trust easily, but allowed the kind touch as if he was starving for it.

“Tell me, Mathias,” Death whispered, “Will everything beautiful she does in this world be considered failure, simply because she herself will not last?”

Behind him, Death heard Mathias take a startled breath. Stricken, his hand fisted in his robes, right where his heart no longer beat. 

“ _Now you see,_ ” Death said with an ancient cadence in his voice. “You see the echoes the existence of the Garden left on culture. You see, in every human breath and heartbeat and laugh, what was born in that Sacred Sanctuary, and the echoes of which exist to this day. The Garden is gone, but its influence remains,” Death sighed, and there was longing in his voice, “And now, it can be reborn again. In this corner of the Earth, in this end of an age, the Garden can be built again. If it will destroy itself, then let it, because that is its fate. But do not become the snake and tell the Lady of the Garden to take a bite of the foreign fruit.”

Death took a moment to pause, to let Mathias see what the point actually was. 

Mathias took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. “You’re telling me not to poke my nose into this. To leave it be, and to become the next Garden of Eden.”

“That is one option, yes,” Death told him, “The other is perhaps more difficult, but it will at least make your wife happy.”

“Making amends with the Belmonts,” Mathias’ ears dropped again, “Or at least forming an understanding.”

Death nodded, satisfied. “It might now be so hard. Your son did most of the work for you. Though, if you are taking my suggestions under advisement…”

“What?” Mathias asked waspishly.

“You are far more eloquent in the written word,” Death told him gently, “But maybe cut down on the words with more than four syllables.” 

“That’s your advice? To send a letter?” Mathias asked incredulously. “If it’s a letter from me, it’s going to be thrown away at least, and taken as a declaration of war at worst, no matter what is written in it!”

“Then don’t sign it as yourself,” Death told him, “Not at first. As for delivery,” the image in the mirror still showed Lisa talking to Hector, “the best solution is to send the right messenger.”

Death turned to Mathias, looked him in his red eyes with none of his own.

“The Garden will be rebuilt, Mathias. If you enter, your choice is to either be one of its inhabitants, or the Snake,” Death did not smile, but it gave the impression of cold amusement anyway, “And we all know what happened to the Snake.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OKAY, a few things to explain here:
> 
> 1\. Mathias is Dracula's Castlevania-cannon original name. Says so in the tags.  
> 2\. The Prince Death talks about is Vlad III of Wallachia, called Vlad the Impaler (Tepes in Romanian) the real-life inspiration for Bram Stoker's Dracula. The Danesti and the Draculesti were the royal lineages of Wallachia, both stemming from the House of Basarab. Since in this verse, our Dracula is far older than Vlad III and a different person, I switched things around a bit and our beloved vampire is actually the reason for the split, and all the Vlads in the Draculesti line were named after him instead, you know, the other way around, in which case the flow of history is a circle. Gotta love historical fiction.  
> 3\. EASTER EGG CHARACTERS GALORE.  
> 4\. Trevor's official title is a Marquis, because I'm headcanoning the Belmont lands to be on the border with Hungary. Basically the modern-day Bihor county, but further east into the Cluj county, since I already included the Hoia forest.  
> 5\. All the unnamed magical creatures are part of Slavic folklore, and thus not Easter Egg characters. though, if you squint, you can tell where the inspiration for some of them came from.  
> 6\. Yes, I know unicorns were actually based on rhinos, but I'm headcanoning that only the boys have horns, like deer, and that is why whenever you see a unicorn obsesed with human virgin girls, you know it's a horny boi. (I apologive for my atrocious sense of humor)  
> 7\. The remains of the Garden of Eden being in the Kalahari desert is a reference to the belief that the first humans _probably_ originated in Botswana. It's hard to date that far, so we can't be sure, but as far as I know it's the accepted prevalent theory.
> 
> Uhh, I think that’s it? Anyway, enjoy, and let the Easter Egg character hunt begin!


End file.
